Irradiation of all-trans-1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (ttt-DPH) in degassed acetonitrile (AN) gives ctt-and tct-DPH, relatively inefficiently, mainly via isomerization in the singlet excited state. The triplet contribution to the photoisomerization is small due to a very low intersystem crossing yield (φ is = 0.01). Central bond isomerization is quenched in the presence of air by a factor of 1.4, consistent with the expected quenching of the lowest singlet and triplet excited states by oxygen. However, the presence of air enhances terminal bond photoisomerization by nearly twofold. Triplet-sensitized ttt-DPH photoisomerization favors tct-DPH formation and is quenched by oxygen. It follows that the interaction of singlet-excited ttt-DPH with O 2 suppresses isomerization to tct-DPH but opens a new isomerization pathway to ctt-DPH. The presence of dimethylfuran, a singlet O 2 trap, has no effect on the photoisomerization, eliminating the possible involvement of singlet O 2 in this new reaction. ttt-DPH radical cations are ruled out as intermediates because the presence of fumaronitrile, which leads to their formation, suppresses both central and terminal bond photoisomerizations. In contrast to acetonitrile, ctt-DPH formation is quenched by oxygen in methylcyclohexane, suggesting the requirement of a polar environment. Strikingly different deuterium isotope effects distinguish the direct and O 2 -induced photoisomerization pathways. A comparative study of ttt-DPH-d 0 with ttt-DPH-d 2 and ttt-DPH-d 4 , involving deuteration of one and both terminal double bonds, reveals an inverse kinetic isotope effect (k H ox /k D ox = 0.92) for the O 2 -induced reaction. An attractive mechanism for the new oxygen-induced photoisomerization involves charge transfer from the S 1 state of ttt-DPH to oxygen followed by collapse of the exciplex to either a zwitterionic or a biradicaloid species through bonding at one of the benzylic positions. Rotation about the new single bond in this intermediate followed by reversion to DPH and O 2 gives the observed result.
679Résumé : L'irradiation du 1,6-diphénylhexa-1,3,5-triène complètement trans (ttt-DPH), dans de l'acétonitrile dégazé (AN) conduit d'une façon relativement inefficace à la formation des ctt-et tct-DPH, principalement par le biais d'une isomérisation dans l'état excité singulet. La contribution triplet à la photoisomérisation est faible en raison du très faible rendement du passage intersystème (φ is = 0,01). L'isomérisation de la liaison centrale est piégée en présence d'air par un facteur de 1,4 qui est en accord le piégeage par l'oxygène des états excités singulet et triplet les plus bas. Toutefois, la présence d'air augmente la photoisomérisation de la liaison terminale par un facteur égal pratiquement à deux. La photoisomérisation du ttt-DPH sensibilisée au niveau triplet favorise la formation de tct-DPH et elle est piégée par l'oxygène. Il en découle que l'interaction de l'oxygène avec le ttt-DPH excité à l'état singulet supprime l'isomérisation en tct-DPH mais qu'elle co...