Photosensitized dimerization of styrene derivatives by a cation radical transfer mechanism

Abstract

Selective photoexcitation of phenanthrene in a mixture of phenanthrene, α-methylstyrene, and m-dicyanobenzene in MeCN and in MeCN–MeOH (1 : 1) gave 1,4-dimethyl-1-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene and 1,4-dimethyl-1-methoxy-1,4-diphenylbutane, respectively, products which are formed from the α-methylstyrene cation radical which is formed by cation radical transfer from phenanthrene cation radical to α-methylstyrene.