Photochemistry of 9-anthracenylmethyl-9′-fluorenyl ketone

Abstract

Abstract The photolysis of the unsymmetric ketone 9-anthracenylmethyl-9′-flourenyl ketone (AFK) was studied using steady state and laser flash photolysis. Product studies from steady state illumination suggest that the compound photolyses from the state by an inefficient Norrish type I process(φ≈0.01) to give anthrylmethyl, flourenyl formyl and fluorenyl radicals which abstract protons form the solvent or recombine to give the expected products. the main product observed on flash photolysis is a transient with an absorption maximum at 423 nm and a lifetime of approximately 24 μs. On the basis of quenching studies, this species is believed to be triplet AFK formed by rapid intersystem crossing of the singlet.