The photochemistry of α-nitrostilbenes and related compounds. A study of double bond cleavage following intramolecular cyclization and nitro-nitrite rearrangement

A detailed study of the photochemistry of a number of α-nitrostilbenes is reported. The previously described intramolecular cyclization of (1) which resulted in cleavage of the double bond was not found to occur to any extent in the other compounds examined. The majority of the compounds were found to yield significant amounts of aldehydes and nitriles, which result from a new fragmentation pathway arising from initial photochemical nitro-nitrite isomerization.