Photochemistry of α-chloro- and α-bromoacetophenone. Determination of extinction coefficients for halogen–benzene complexes

Abstract

The photochemical dehalogenation of α-haloacetophenones (Cl, Br) in benzene solution has been examined under conditions of continuous and pulsed laser irradiation. Product and quantum yield studies indicate that carbon-halogen bond cleavage occurs with quantum yields of 0.88 and 0.41 for α-chloro- and α-bromoacetophenone, respectively. These values are based on trapping studies in which the PhC(O)ĊH 2 radicals produced photochemically are scavenged by hydrogen donors such as benzenethiol. Laser flash photolysis studies lead to intense transient signals due to benzene–halogen complexes. Combination of transient data and quantum yields lead to extinction coefficients of 1 800 and 23 700 M −1 cm −1 for the chlorine (490 nm) and bromine (550 nm) complexes, respectively.