Photosensitized oxidation of furans. Part 2. Comparison between triplet and singlet molecular oxygen oxidation of methyl 2-methyl-5-phenylfuran-3-carboxylate

Abstract

Unsensitized photo-oxidation of the furan (1) yields the acrylate (4) as the major product. This reaction and that with singlet oxygen proceed through completely independent routes. Oxidation of (1) by triplet oxygen has also been studied using AIBN as a free-radical initiator; in addition to (4) the product (12), incorporating the isobutyronitrile radicals, was formed.