Benzophenone azine (1) has been found to be the beginning point for two different types of photochemical reaction. The first of these is a molecular rearrangement leading to 1,3,3-triphenylisoindole (5) while the second is a photoreduction resulting in the formation of 1,1,1',!'-tetraphenylazomethane (7). l,l,l',l'-Tetraphenylazomethane (7) has also been found to be photochemically unstable yielding 1,1,2,2-tetraphenylethane (2) and diphenylmethane (3). 1,1,2,2-Tetraphenylethane (2) has been previously shown to decompose upon photolysis to give cfs-stilbene (4), l-(2-biphenylyl)-l,2-diphenylethane (6), and biphenyl (8). All of these compounds (2-8) are isolated from the photolysis of benzophenone azine (1).Benzophenone azine (1) has been found to be photochemically unique among azine systems. It does not participate in nitrogen-nitrogen bond homolysis, the major light-initiated reaction experienced by other acyclic azines.3 It does, however, undergo two reac-^)C=NN=C^^) C=N• -N=Ct ions, a photoreduction and a molecular rearrangement.At this time we would like to describe our findings related to these two photochemical reactions of benzophenone azine (1).
ResultsVycor-filtered irradiation of 3.00 mmol of benzophenone azine (1) in 1200 ml of methanol under nitrogen for 24 hr with a 450-W Hanovia mercury-vapor lamp produced, after solvent removal, a dark yellow oil containing some solid material. Chromatography (1) Paper VIII in a series on the photochemistry of unsaturated nitrogencontaining compounds. For paper VII see R. W.