Title: Photochemistry of Some Bromoarenes Abstract approved:

The photodebromination of selected bromoarenes has been studied at 300 nm to determine the the possible mechanistic pathways leading to product. Irradiation of 4-bromobiphenyl (BpBr) at this wavelength leads to the product biphenyl. The quantum yield of intersystem crossing (0.98) and quenching studies with cis-1,3-pentadiene suggest that the reaction occurs only via the triplet state. The observed increase of quantum yield of reaction with increasing concentration of BpBr suggests formation of a triplet excimer between the triplet state and ground state of BpBr as the key reactive intermediate. The log of the rate constant for excimer formation showed a linear increase with solvent polarity. The correlation of rate constants for excimer formation with linear solvation energy parameters indicates only a weak polarization of the excimer species. In order to understand the extent of radical anion character in the excimer, the regiochemistry of the photo-debromination of 3,4-dibromobiphenyl (3,4-BpBr) was studied. 3,4-BpBr was irradiated with and without an electron donor (triethylamine). 3,4-BpBr was also chemically reduced with lithium biphenylide (LiDBB). The difference in the regiochemistries under these conditions has been interpreted in terms of reaction via a free radical anion in the case of reactions with triethylamine and LiDBB and a weakly polarized excimer in the case of direct irradiation. In order to understand the extent of polarization in the excimers and their conformation, it was decided to study systems where the structure of the molecule would fix the geometry of potential intramolecular charge-transfer complexes. Towards this goal, brominated [2.2]paracyclophanes, 4-bromo[2.2]paracylophane (CpBr), pseudo-para-dibromo[2.2]cyclophane (ps-p-CpBr) and pseudo-ortho-dibromo[2.2]cyclophane (ps-o-CpBr), were studied. The effect of substitution pattern of the bromines on the efficiency of excimer formation was also investigated. The brominated [2.2]para-cyclophanes showed varying efficiencies of formation of intermolecular excimer and intramolecular charge-transfer. A probable conformation for the excimer from Bp Br has been proposed based on these results