Pressure dependence of the forward and backward rates of 9-tert-butylanthracene Dewar isomerization

J Phys Chem A. 2014 Jul 17;118(28):5349-54. doi: 10.1021/jp504771b. Epub 2014 Jun 30.

Abstract

9-tert-Butylanthracene undergoes a photochemical reaction to form its strained Dewar isomer, which thermally back-reacts to reform the original molecule. When 9-tert-butylanthracene is dissolved in a polymer host, we find that both the forward and reverse isomerization rates are pressure-dependent. The forward photoreaction rate, which reflects the sum of contributions from photoperoxidation and Dewar isomerization, decreases by a factor of 1000 at high pressure (1.5 GPa). The back-reaction rate, on the other hand, increases by a factor of ∼3 at high pressure. Despite being highly strained and higher volume, the back-reaction reaction rate of the Dewar isomer is at least 100× less sensitive to pressure than that of the bi(anthracene-9,10-dimethylene) photodimer studied previously by our group. These results suggest that the high pressure sensitivity of the bi(anthracene-9,10-dimethylene) photodimer reaction is not just due to the presence of strained four-membered rings but instead relies on the unique molecular geometry of this molecule.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Anthracenes / chemistry*
  • Isomerism
  • Kinetics
  • Molecular Structure
  • Photochemical Processes
  • Pressure
  • Spectrum Analysis

Substances

  • Anthracenes