Photochemistry of triethylamine–acid chloride charge-transfer complexes

Abstract

Charge-transfer (CT) complexes formed between various para-substituted benzoyl chlorides and triethylamine in acetonitrile have been studied spectrophotometrically. Photoactivation of these CT complexes lead to products arising from the reactions of acyl and aminoalkyl radicals. These photochemical processes have been utilized to generate acyl radicals from O-allylsalicylyl chloride which undergoes intramolecular cyclization to form 3-methylchroman-4-one 20 in good yields.