Electron transfer-initiated photocyclization of substituted N-acetyl-α-dehydro(1-naphthyl)alanines to 1,2-dihydrobenzo[f]quinolinone derivatives: scope and limitations

The irradiation of substituted N-acetyl-α-dehydro(1-naphthyl)alanines (1) in MeOH containing triethylamine with Pyrex-filtered light gave 1,2-dihydrobenzo[f]quinolinones (2) in preference to benzo[f]isoquinolines (3) and 1-azetines (4). Analysis of substituent effects on the product compositions revealed that the selectivity of 2 has a strong tendency to decrease with increasing steric bulkiness of the alkyl substituent introduced into the starting (Z)-1. From control and fluorescence quenching experiments it was shown that the photocyclization reaction of 1 affording 2 proceeds by an electron-transfer mechanism. The mechanism of this novel cyclization was discussed mainly based on substituent and solvent effects on both the reactivities of the excited singlet-state 1 and the selectivities of the products 2–4.