Photochemistry of N-acetyl and N-benzoyl carbazoles: photo-Fries rearrangement and photoinduced single electron transfer

The photochemistry of two N-acyl carbazoles, N-acetyl and N-benzoyl carbazole, in different pure and mixed organic solvents is studied. Depending on the properties of the medium, photo-Fries rearrangement and photoinduced single electron transfer (PSET) processes are observed yielding the former I-acyl and 3-acyl carbazoles and the latter 3-chloro-N-acyl carbazole. k(SV), k(Q) and phi for fluorescence emission, conversion of N-acyl carbazole and product formation yields have been measured as well as the properties of the N-acyl carbazole radical cations formed during the PSET process (laser flash photolysis experiments). The Rehm-Weller equation is used in order to evaluate the Delta G degrees(ET) of the PSET processes. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.