Iodide ion quenching of the photolysis of 1-iodoanthraquinone anion radical: evidence for an aryl radical–nucleophile reaction

Abstract

The photolysis of 1-iodoanthraquinone anion radical in acetonitrile containing tetrabutylammonium iodide (TBA⁺I^–) is unaffected by changes in [TBA⁺I^–] up to 0.2 mol dm^–3, confirming that the previously observed iodide ion quenching results from capture of photogenerated aryl radicals by the nucleophilic iodide, a process analogous to that in nucleophilic aromatic substitution by the S_RN1 mechanism.