EXPLORATORY PHOTOCHEMICAL STUDY ON THE o-NITROBENZYLSULFONYL DERIVATIVES

INTRODUCTION : The photochemistry of nitro chromophore has been the subject of intense study only in recent years. Unlike the carbonyl functional group, of which the photochemistry has been quite extensively studied and fairly well understood, as a result of excellent work done by numerous physical and organic photochemists alike, the nature of photochemistry of nitro group has only recently been systematically explored. The photochemistry of nitro group exhibits general features of the photochemistry of the carbonyl groups such as hydrogen abstraction by the diradical species generated from the n-$\pi$$^*$ excited state of the nitro group. Other photochemical pathways common to the carbonyl group such as the biradical intermidiate formation, photocycloelimination, and cydoaddition reactions are also open for the nitro group. Of all the photochemical reactions of the nitro group mentioned above, hydrogen abstraction by the n-$\pi$$^*$ excited state of the nitro group has drawn much attention by synthetic organic chemists and polymer chemists. In the field of organic synthesis, above mintioned photochemical reaction has been utilized in the photoprotection-deprotection chemistry.