Effect of Additives Containing a Heavy Atom on the Yield of Photooxidation Products of Arylazides

Abstract

The effect of additives containing a heavy atom on the yield of nitroso and nitro compounds, the photooxidation products of arylazides, was studied. The addition of ethyl bromide to the reaction mixture increases the total yield of photooxidation products and the contribution of nitroso compounds. The assumption was made that the intersystem crossing (ISC) of nitrene from the singlet to the triplet state is the rate-determining step of the reaction, and the ISC of the singlet adduct of nitrene with oxygen is one of the steps of the reaction path leading to the formation of nitroso compounds.