Benzene exhibits a rich photochemistry which can provide access to complex molecular scaffolds that are difficult to access with reactions in the electronic ground state. While benzene is aromatic in its ground state, it is antiaromatic in its lowest ππ* excited states. Herein, we clarify to what extent relief of excited-state antiaromaticity (ESAA) triggers a fundamental benzene photoreaction: the photoinitiated nucleophilic addition of solvent to benzene in acidic media leading to substituted bicyclo[3.1.0]hex-2-enes. The reaction scope was probed experimentally, and it was found that silyl-substituted benzenes provide the most rapid access to bicyclo[3.1.0]hexene derivatives, formed as single isomers with three stereogenic centers in yields up to 75% in one step. Two major mechanism hypotheses, both involving ESAA relief, were explored through quantum chemical calculations and experiments. The first mechanism involves protonation of excited-state benzene and subsequent rearrangement to bicyclo[3.1.0]hexenium cation, trapped by a nucleophile, while the second involves photorearrangement of benzene to benzvalene followed by protonation and nucleophilic addition. Our studies reveal that the second mechanism is operative. We also clarify that similar ESAA relief leads to puckering of S 1 -state silabenzene and pyridinium ion, where the photorearrangement of the latter is of established synthetic utility. Finally, we identified causes for the limitations of the reaction, information that should be valuable in explorations of similar photoreactions. Taken together, we reveal how the ESAA in benzene and 6π-electron heterocycles trigger photochemical distortions that provide access to complex three-dimensional molecular scaffolds from simple reactants.

The first hydrogenation step of benzene, which is endergonic in the electronic ground state (S0), becomes exergonic in the first triplet state (T1). This is in line with Baird's rule, which tells that benzene is antiaromatic and destabilized in its T1 state and also in its first singlet excited state (S1), opposite to S0, where it is aromatic and remarkably unreactive. Here we utilized this feature to show that benzene and several polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to various extents undergo metal-free photochemical (hydro)silylations and transfer-hydrogenations at mild conditions, with the highest yield for naphthalene (photosilylation: 21%). Quantum chemical computations reveal that T1-state benzene is excellent at H-atom abstraction, while cyclooctatetraene, aromatic in the T1 and S1 states according to Baird's rule, is unreactive. Remarkably, also CVD-graphene on SiO2 is efficiently transfer-photohydrogenated using formic acid/water mixtures together with white light or solar irradiation under metal-free conditions.

A visible-light-mediated late-stage aminocarbonylation of unactivated alkyl iodides with stoichiometric amounts of carbon monoxide is presented. The method provides a mild, one-step route to [carbonyl-13/14 C] alkyl amides, thereby reducing radioactive waste, and handling of radioactive materials. Easily accessible and low-cost equipment and a palladium catalyst were successfully used for the synthesis of a wide range of alkyl amides.

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Gain of aromaticity or relief of antiaromaticity along a reaction path are important factors to consider in mechanism studies. Analysis of such changes along potential energy surfaces has historically focused on reactions in the electronic ground state (S 0 ), but can also be used for excited states. In the lowest ππ* states, the electron counts for aromaticity and antiaromaticity follow Baird's rule where 4n π-electrons indicate aromaticity and 4n + 2 π-electrons antiaromaticity. Yet, there are also cases where Hückel's rule plays a role in the excited state. The electron count reversals of Baird's rule compared to Hückel's rule explain many altered physicochemical properties upon excitation of (hetero)annulene derivatives. Here we illustrate how the gain of excited-state aromaticity (ESA) and relief of excited-state antiaromaticity (ESAA) have an impact on photoreactivity and photostability. Emphasis is placed on recent findings supported by the results of quantum chemical calculations, and photoreactions in a wide variety of areas are covered.