Quenching and radical formation in the reaction of photoexcited benzophenone with thiols and thio ethers (sulfides). Nanosecond flash studies

Abstract

Laser flash measurements have been made of rate constants and primary radical yields in the reactions of triplet benzophenone with aliphatic and aromatic thiols and with dialkyl and aryl alkyl sulfides. Reaction with n-pentylthiol in benzene leads mainly to quenching, with k/sub ir/ = 9 x 10/sup 6/ M/sup -1/ s/sup -1/ and radical yield (ketyl) = 0.14; with mesitylene-2 thiol in benzene k/sub ir/ = 7 x 10/sup 8/ M/sup -1/ s/sup -1/ and hydrogen transfer is efficient, radical yield (ketyl) approx. 1.0. In reactions with both p-chlorophenyl ethyl and diisopropyl sulfides, k/sub ir/ increases and radical yield (ketyl) decreases with increasing solvent polarity. Values of k/sub ir/ are higher and those of radical yield (ketyl) are lower for the dialkyl than for the aryl alkyl sulfide. Results are discussed in terms of rapid interaction of the triplet with S, followed by quenching and/or hydrogen transfer. Quenching without hydrogen transfer occurs to a much greater extent with sulfides and aliphatic thiols than with amines.