Photochemical deprotection of nitro-substituted benzenesulfenates via photoinduced electron transfer

The photochemical deprotection of alkyl 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfenate or alkyl 2-nitrobenzenesulfenate was successfully achieved by addition of triethylamine, while it was unsuccessful without triethylamine. The sulfur–oxygen bond cleavage is thought to occur heterolytically in the sulfenate anion radical produced by photoinduced electron transfer with triethylamine.