Photo-induced proton coupled electron transfer from a benzophenone ‘antenna’ to an isoindoline nitroxide

Abstract

The current study reports the synthesis and properties of a novel isoindoline nitroxide containing a benzophenone chromophore fused into the carbon framework. When exposed to UV light, rather than undergoing traditional benzophenone photochemical pathways, the presence of the nitroxide enables an energy transfer process whereby the nitroxide enters an excited state which induces an efficient hydrogen atom transfer from unactivated alkanes.