Low Temperature Photolysis of o-Benzoquinones. Spectroscopic Detection of Cyclopentadienones and Bis-Ketenes

Abstract

Abstract The photodecarbonylation of o-benzoquinone to cyclopentadienone at low temperature was monitored by infrared and ultraviolet spectra which showed that the reaction is highly sensitive to substituents. 3,5-Di-t-butyl-o-benzoquinone undergoes clean decarbonylation to give cyclopentadienone under irradiation at −170 °C. Similar irradiation of 4-t-butyl-, 4-methyl-, 3-methyl-, and unsubstituted o-benzoquinones also leads to decarbonylation to cyclopentadienones. However, competitive α-cleavage to bis-ketene becomes important in these systems. Direct spectroscopic observation of the elusive cyclopentadienone was unsuccessful because of the overlapping absorption of the by-product. The infrared spectrum of bis-ketene from 4-t-butyl-o-benzoquinone shows that it exists as a mixture of rotamers, not undergoing thermal interconversion even at −170 °C.