Laser flash photolysis of fluorinated aryl azides in neutral and acidic solutions

Laser flash photolysis of perfluoro-4-biphenyl azide andN-propyl-4-azido-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzylamide in acetonitrile, water-acetonitrile mixtures, and HCl-containing solutions was studied. The absorption spectra of primary intermediates, singlet arylnitrenes(2a(S) and2b(S), respectively), were recorded. The absolute rate constants of their intersystem crossing in MeCN were measured, and the corresponding Arrhenius parameters were found from the temperature dependences of the rate constants of isomerization of singlet arylnitrenes2a(S) and2b(S) to azirines. Protonation of singlet arylnitrenes2a(S) and2b(S) was observed, the rate constants of their protonation were measured, and the transient absorption spectra of arylnitrenium ions were recorded. It was shown by quantum-chemical calculations (the hybrid B3LYP method) that the arylnitrenium ions that formed have the singlet ground state and the singlet-triplet gap is ∼20 kcal mol−1.