Aroylnitrenes with singlet ground states: photochemistry of acetyl-substituted aroyl and aryloxycarbonyl azides

The photochemistry of 4-acetylbenzoyl azide (ABA), 4-acetyl-4'-biphenoyl azide (ADA), and 4-acetylphenoxycarbonyl azide (APA) shows unusual wavelength and structural effects. Irradiation of ABA or ADA into their ..pi..-..pi..* bands with deep-UV light leads to formation of 4-acetylbenzoylnitrene (ABN) and 4-acetyl-4'-biphenoylnitrene (ADN), respectively, in competition with photo-Curtius rearrangement to form isocyanates. Irradiation of these azides into their n-..pi..* bands with near-UV light gives only the aroylnitrenes. The triplet excited states of the azides were detected chemically and by transient spectroscopic techniques. Nitrogen loss following near-UV irradiation occurs exclusively from the excited triplet azides. However, the chemical properties of ABN and ADN are consistent only with reactions originating from their singlet states. An ESR spectrum is observed at 8 K for ((4-acetylphenoxy)carbonyl) nitrene (APN) but not for 4-acetylbenzoylnitrene (ABN) or 4-acetyl-4'-biphenylcarbonylnitrene (ADN). The chemical properties of APN in tert-butyl alcohol show that its triplet is no more than 5 kcal/mol below its lowest single state. In contrast, the chemical properties of ABN and ADN indicate that these nitrenes have singlet ground states.