Photochemical studies of α,β-unsaturated ketones in carbon tetrachloride solution

Abstract

Phosgene has been identified by infrared spectroscopy as one of the major products of both continuous and flash photolyses of dilute, oxygenated CC14 solutions of six a,@-unsaturated ketones at wavelengths longer than 3 000 A. This product is absent from degassed solutions photolyzed similarly. Acetone, benzophenone, naphthalene, and anthracene show parallel behavior. s-trans ketones appear to be more effective in causing the CC14 decomposition than the s-cis species. The photosensitized decomposition of CC14 is a possible mechanism for this common behavior.