Solvent and excitation wavelength effects on photocleavage of N-(9-anthroyloxy)-9-fluorenylideneamine as a precursor of 9-anthroyloxyl radicals. A mechanistic study

Photocleavage of the NO bond of N-(9-anthroyloxy)-9-fluorenylideneamine takes place efficiently in acetonitrile in the excited singlet state attributed to the fluorenylidene moiety. This made it possible for the first time to directly observe 9-anthroyloxyl radicals. However, the efficiency decreases remarkably in benzene in which the lowest excited singlet state is attributed to the anthroate moiety.