Photochemical syntheses. I. The formation of the naphthalene-diphenylacetylene photo-adduct

Abstract

The yield of the adduct in the light-induced naphthalene- diphenylacetylene addition depends inter alia on the concentrations of naphthalene and diphenyl-acetylene, and their ratio, the wavelengths of the incident light, and on the temperature of the reaction. The addition is retarded by oxygen and can be completely inhibited by benzophenone. A mechanism for the addition is discussed which involves the rearrangement of an exciplex derived from diphenylacetylene and singlet naphthalene.