Photochemistry of 4-and 5-phenyl substituted isoxazoles

5-Phenylisoxazole (4) and 4-phenylisoxazole (22) underwent phototransposition to 5-phenyloxazole (5) and 4-phenyloxazole (24) respectively. Labeling with deuterium or methyl confirmed that these phototrans-positions occurred via the P-4 pathway which involves only interchange of the N2 and C3 ring position. Thus, 4-deuterio-5-phenylisoxazole (4-4d), 4-methyl-5-phenylisoxazole (10), and 5-methyl-4-phenylisoxazole (23) phototransposed to 4-deuterio-5-phenyloxazole (5-4d), 4-methyl-5-phenyloxazole (11), and 5-methyl-4-phenyloxazole (25) respectively. In addition to phototransposition, isoxazoles 4, 10, and 23 also underwent photo-ring cleavage to yield benzoylacetonitrile (9), alpha-benzoylpropionitrile (15), and aceto-alpha-phenyl-acetonitrile (26) respectively. Irradiation of 5-phenyl-3-(trifluoromethyl)isoxazole (16) in acetonitrile led to 5-phenyl-2-(trifluoromethyl)oxazole (17), the P-4 phototransposition product. Irradiation of 16 in methanol led to a substantial decrease in the yield of 17 and to the formation of a mixture of (E) and (Z)-2-methoxy-2(trifluoromethyl)-3-benzoylaziridines 18a and 18b.