Exploitation of aldoxime esters as radical precursors in preparative and EPR spectroscopic roles

Abstract

Photolyses of aldoxime esters, containing a considerable range of alkyl groups, lead to cleavage of their N–O bonds and formation of aryliminyl and alkyl radicals. The process was found to be favoured by 4-methoxyacetophenone as a photosensitiser and by methoxy substituents in the aryl rings. 4-Nitro- and pentafluoro-substitutions of the aryl rings were, on the other hand, deleterious. The intermediate iminyl radicals, together with primary, secondary and tertiary alkyl radicals were characterised by 9 GHz EPR spectroscopy. Cyclopropyl, CF3, and CCl3 radicals were probably also formed, but were too reactive for direct EPR spectroscopic detection. Photosensitised reaction of benzophenone oxime O-nonanoyl ester produced the diphenylmethaniminoxyl, as well as the expected n-octyl and iminyl radicals. This indicated that O–C bond scission accompanied O–N scission for this ketoxime ester.