Tetrahedron Letters. Vol. 34. No. 52. pp. 8415.8418.

1993
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Solvent Effects on the Singlet - Triplet Equilibrium and Reactivity
of a Ground Triplet State Arylalkyl Carbene
Miguel A. Garcfa-Garibay,* Craig Theroff, Steve H. Shin, and Jesper Jemelius
hpatlmat of Chemistry and Biochemisby
University of Califania, Los Angeles
Los Angeles CA 90024
Absfmcf. Results from intramolecular singlet and triplet specifii reactivity in solvents of different polarity suggest
that the spin state equilibrium of 1.2dipbenyL1-butylidene, a uiplet ground state. carbene, is largely susceptible to
solvent polarity. Ibe results are consistent with stabilization of the zwitterionic singlet state in solvents of high
Unimolecular carbene reactivity is often characterized by low activation energies, large and negative
activation entropies and by divergent reactivity from energetically close singlet and triplet states.*
It has
been shown2 that ground triplet states 1,2-diphenylalkylidenes (2) react via singlet state (2s) 1,2-shifts to
give (Z)- and (E)- 1 .Zdiphenyl- 1-alkenes (32 and 3E) while the triplet state (2T) undergoes 1,2-Ph
migrations to give 1,l ,-diphenyl- I-alkenes (4). The formation of 1,2-diphenyl-cyclopropanes (5) from the
triplet state, has also been recently reported (Scheme 1).3
Scheme 1
It has been observed that the selectivity of 1,Zdiphenylalkyl carbenes is low and that their reactivity
has a pronounced susceptibility to environmental effects.24 Satisfactory explanations have been offered for
8415
8416
temperature effects and rigidityh4 but there has been no explanation offered for large variations in product
yields occurring in different solvents. We have recently reported3 competition experiments between intra-
and intermolecular reactivity with methanol in benzene solvent to test for rapid spin state equilibration and
spin state specificity as required by the Bethel mechanism (which is illustrated in Scheme 1)s By using the
yields of intramolecular reaction products as spin-specific internal clocks, strong deviations from the Bethel
mechanism were observed. With additional experiments carried out with 3pentanol in acetonitrile, two
solvents with identical polarity values,6*7 we suggested that those deviations come from a large sensitivity
of the S-T equilibrium constants (and S-T energy gaps) to the polarity of the solvent.3
In order to confront the above hypothesis, we have carried out a systematic study with solvents
covering a wide polarity range and with relatively different properties. These included aliphatic and
aromatic hydrocarbons such as pentane and benzene. ylid-forming acetonitrile and benxonitrile as well as a
set of reactive alcohols with different stetic requirements, acidity and (presumably) aggregation properties.
The only obvious ordering parameter in this set is the polarity given by their Ed values.6 Photolyses
were carried out with the filtered output (h >350 nm) of a medium pressure mercury lamp in thoroughly
deoxygenated 5 mM solutions of 1. Product yields were determined by capillary gas chromatographic
analysis and the results from duplicate experiments are included in Table 1 .a
Table 1. Product Distributiona from 1 in Solvents of Different Polarities
Solvent Et(30) 32 4 3E 5 6 : 7b
pentane 30.9 23.4
benzene 34.5 24.1 296 :z
26.9 -
21.7 -
Cl-Benzene 37.5 29.0 40:3 8:7 22.0 -
CN-Benzene 42.0 32.9 35.7 10.4 21.0 -
MeCN 46.0 37.1 33.3 16.9 12.6
3-Pent-OH
2-P&
46.0 21.6 17.4 7.6 8.5 28.7 : 10.6
48.6 21.9 13.2 43.6 : 22.0
EtOH 51.9 23.2 9.7 :*z :.:: 37.5 : 10.9
MeOH 55.5 25.0 5.5 7:0 3:5 44.3 : 14.1
a) Average from at least two irradiations and two chromatographic runs each (ca. error ilO%). b) Relative
stcrcocbcmistry not dctemrined
The ratio of intramolecular triplet and singlet products [PT I Ps = (4 + 5) / (32 + 3E)] contains
information on the lifetime and equilibrium populations of each of the two spin states as determined by their
rates of intramolecular reaction and intersystem crossing and is the parameter chosen for analysis in Figure
1. Given the variety of solvents included in the analysis, and the fact that simultaneous bimolecular
reactivity and aggregation may occur in alcohol solvents,9 the correlation is remarkable. Since the ratios
3E / 32 and 4 / 5 remain relatively constant, rate constants for unimolecular reactions from each manifold in
different solvents are relatively unaffected. We define kg = (k3Z + k3R) and kT = (lq + ks) to obtain a simple
expression for PT I Ps:
PT
@(4 + 5)
kT km
-=
= (1)
ps 0(3Z + 3E)
ks (kT + km)
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The derivation of Eq. 1 also assumes that the singlet and triplet states equilibrate with rates of
intersystem crossing (ksT and k& that are much larger than the rate constants leading to individual
products.5 In agreement with Eq. 1, PT / Ps remains linear in the presence of competing bimolecular spin
state specific reactions such as the controversial reaction with methanol, 10 the possible formation of ylids
or reaction with hydrocarbon solver&* (products from the latter two were not observed). The linear
dependence of the product ratio with solvent polarity agrees with direct picosecond laser-induced-
fluorescence measurements by Eisenthal et al. who first found the dependence of by on the polarity of the
medium as given by its ET(30) values. 7913 This effect results in a decrease of the equilibrium constant,
defined as KsT = ksT / kTs , and is presumed to come from a relative stabilization of the zwitterionic singlet
State.
3
2
-EL
ps
40 60
ET (Kcal / mol)
Figure 1. Effect of solvent polarity as given by ET(30) on the ratio of triplet to singlet products from 1,2-
diphenyl- 1-butylidene.
The results in Figure 1 indicate that spin state equilibration is fast relative to reaction even in pure
alcohol solvents, suggesting either very fast intersystem crossing rates, or reaction rates that are lower than
diffusion control.5 Although the yields of insertion products 6 and 7 in alcohol solvents increase in the order
observed with diarylcarbenesloc and strongly support a spin state specific reaction, our results do not
distinguish the detailed mechanism of reaction via protonation or ylide formation.14 Our results, however,
agree with observations in MeOD indicating that formation of olefins following carbene protonation and
elimination represents a relatively minor pathway (-10%). th It is interesting to point out that the conditions
of the Bethel mechanism seem to be fully satisfied in solvent systems where no changes in polarity occur as
a function of composition (e.g., MeCN and 3-PentOH ). The excellent correlationwith Eq. 1 suggests that
reactions involving the excited state diazo compound, which have been postulated with several related
compounds, are unlikely, unless rather special kinetic circumstances may be satistied.ttc*l5
Acknowledgments: To the donors of the Petroleum Research Fund, Administered by the American
Chemical Society and to the UCLA College of Letters and Sciences for a new faculty grant. We also thank
NSF/CAMP for a summer award to J. J.
8418
REFERENCES AND NOTES
1.
2.
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6.
7.
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Platz, M. S. In Kinetics and Spectroscopy of Carbenes and Biradicals; Platz, M. S. Ed.; Plennum. New
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All the products from 1 have been identified by g.1.c co-injection with authentic samples and g.l.c.-MS
analysis. Insertion products with methanol were independently synthesized and products with other
alcohols were confirmed by g.l.c.-MS.
It has been proposed that alcohol oligomers may display different reactivity than alcohol monomers:
Griller, D.; Liu, M. T. H.; Scaiano, J. C. J. Am Chem. Sot. 1982,104, 5549.
(a) Griller, D.; Nazran, A. S.; Scaiano, J. C. J. Am Chem Sot. 1984,106, 198; (b) Griller, D.; Nazran,
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Gould, I. R.; Hefferon, G.;Cha, Y. Tetrahedron 1985,41, 1543.
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Chem Rev. 1991,263; (c) Sugiyama, M. H.; Celebi, S.; Platz, M. S. .I. Am. Chem. Sot. 1992,114, 966.
Hadel, L. M.; Platz, M. S.; Scaiano, J. C. .J. Am Chem Sot. 1984,106,283.
Our results may also be explained by a solvent polarity increase in the rate of singlet state 1,2-H
reactions. Recent examples based on the pyridine Ylid method have beeen recently reported in:
Sugiyama, M. H.; Celebi, S.; Platz, M. S. J . Am. Chem Sot., 1992,114, 966.
(a) Tomioka, H.; Hayashi, N.; Sugiura, T.; Izawa, Y. J. Chem Soc.Chem Commun. 1986, 1364; (b)
Holm, K. H.; Skattebel, L. J. Am. Chem Sot. 1977,99,5480; (c) Warner, P. M.; Chu, I. S. J. Am.
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Excited and ground state precursor reactivity have been issues of increasing concern in carbene
reactivity. Leading references: (a) Celebi, S.; Leyva, S.; Modarelli, D. A.; Platz, M. S., J. Am Chem
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B.; Armstrong, B.; Sztyrbicka, R. Tetrahedron Lett. 1992,33, 5021; (c) Yamatwto, Y.; Murahashi,
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(Received in USA 17 August 1993; accepted 18 October 1993)