ChemInform Abstract: INDIRECT CHEMILUMINESCENCE FROM THE AIR OXIDATION OF KETONES AND CARBOXYLIC ACIDS IN ALKALINE APROTIC SOLVENTS CONTAINING 9,10-DIPHENYLANTHRACENE AND 9,10-DIBROMOANTHRACENE

A number of ketones and carboxylic acids have been examined for direct and indirect chemiluminescence with 9,10-diphenylanthracene and 9,10-dibromoanthracene by air oxidation. From the finding that the efficiency of the chemiluminescence was dramatically influenced by the class of the C–H bond adjacent to the carbonyl group, it was concluded that the molecules with a –COCH– group surely give an excited product during air oxidation in alkaline aprotic solvents. The reaction scheme was consistent with the evidence that most simple carboxylic acids exhibited no chemiluminescence, probably because the C–H bond adjacent to the carboxyl group is no more acidic, but keto acids exhibited emission. In several compounds, however, the chemiluminescent reaction was retarded by other functional groups.