[reaction: see text] Photocatalytic oxygenation of tetraphenylethylene (TPE) with oxygen occurs efficiently via electron-transfer reactions of TPE and oxygen with a photogenerated electron transfer state of 9-mesityl-10-methylacridniium ion, followed by the radical-coupling reaction between TPE radical cation and O2*- to produce 1,2-dioxetane selectively. The further photocatalytic cleavage of the O-O bond of dioxetane affords benzophenone as the final oxygenated product.

Photooxygenation of triphenylphosphine (Ph3P) to triphenylphosphine oxide (Ph3P=O) with molecular oxygen (O2) occurs under photoirradiation of 9-mesityl-10-methylacridinium perchlorate ([Acr+–Mes]ClO4−) which acts as an efficient electron-transfer photocatalyst. Photooxidation of benzylamine (PhCH2NH2) with O2 also occurs efficiently under photoirradiation of Acr+–Mes to yield PhCH2N=CHPh and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Each photocatalytic reaction is initiated by intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer from the Mes moiety to the singlet excited state of the Acr+ moiety to produce the electron-transfer state (Acr•–Mes•+). The Mes•+ moiety oxidizes Ph3P and PhCH2NH2 to produce the radical cations (Ph3P•+ and PhCH2NH2•+, respectively), whereas the Acr• moiety reduces O2 to O2•−. The produced Ph3P•+ binds with O2•− as well as O2, leading to the oxygenated product (Ph3P=O). On the other hand, proton transfer from PhCH2NH2•+ to O2•− occurs, followed by hydrogen transfer, leading to the dehydrogenated dimer product, PhCH2N=CHPh. In each case, the radical intermediates were detected by laser flash photolysis and ESR measurements to clarify the photocatalytic mechanism.

Electron donor (D) substituted 3-ethoxycarbonylcoumarin (CM) derivatives [D-CM: D = 4-diphenylaminophenyl (DPA), 4-diethylaminophenyl (DEA), 4-dimethylaminophenyl (DMA), and 2-methyl-4-dimethylaminophenyl (MeDMA)] are synthesized and characterized. Photoinduced electron transfer (ET) from the D moiety to the acceptor (CM) and back electron transfer (BET) are investigated by femtosecond and nanosecond laser flash photolysis measurements. Femtosecond laser excitation at 355 nm of a deaerated acetonitrile (MeCN) solution of D-CM shows generation of the singlet charge-separated (CS) state [(1)(D(.+)-CM(.-))] by ET from D to the singlet excited state of the CM moiety ((1)CM*), and this is followed by rapid decay within 3 ns to afford the triplet excited state (D-(3)CM*). Nanosecond laser excitation of a deaerated MeCN solution of D-CM results in formation of the triplet CS state by ET from D to (3)CM*. The quantum yield of formation of the triplet CS state [(3)(DPA(.+)-CM(.-))] in the presence of iodobenzene (PhI) in deaerated MeCN increases with increasing concentration of PhI to reach 27 % at 0.5 M PhI. The triplet CS state decays by bimolecular BET because of the long CS lifetime by unimolecular BET. Formation of the long-lived triplet CS state was confirmed by electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements. The photorobust nature of DPA-CM is demonstrated by multiple laser pulse excitation (>1000 times) at 355 nm. The photoinduced ET and BET rate constants of a series of D-CM are thoroughly analyzed in light of the Marcus theory of electron transfer.

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