The Missing Link Between Molecular Triplets and Spin-Polarized Free Radicals: Room Temperature Triplet States of Nanocrystalline Radical Pairs

Abstract

Photochemical reactions of organic molecules in the solid state have an excellent potential in green chemistry technologies as they often proceed in high yields to give a single product without generating volatile organic solvent waste. While recent synthetic applications highlight the need for a better understanding of reaction mechanisms and kinetics, spectroscopic observations of excited states and short-lived intermediates in single crystals and powdered samples have been extremely challenging due to the high optical density and scattering power of single crystals and powdered samples. In this communication, we report the first direct observation of a radical pair triplet state by time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) with nanocrystals of 4,4'-dimethoxy-dicumyl ketone (1OMe) suspended in water. Steady state irradiation of 1OMe had previously shown that reactions in dry powders and nanocrystalline suspensions proceed with high efficiency and chemoselectivity to generate 4,4'-dimethoxy-dicumene 2OMe by decarbonylation and radical coupling. The nanocrystalline suspensions were excited with an 25 ns laser pulse at 308 nm using a flow system within the cavity of a time-resolved EPR spectrometer. The resulting TREPR spectra showed strong spin polarization with enhanced absorption A and emission E signals in an AAAEEE pattern characteristic of a randomly oriented triplet with zero-field splitting parameters D = 243 G and E = 11 G as well as an isotropic exchange integral J = -45,000 G. The assignment of this spectrum to a radical pair triplet state was supported by measurements carried out in fluid solution and in frozen glasses, which allowed for the characterization of the free radical and the triplet excited molecular state of the starting ketone 1OMe.