Photoreduction of Acridine in Deaerated and Aerated Ethanol Solutions

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
1. The deaerated solution of acridine 1×10−4m in ethanol, when irradiated by 365 mμ produces acridane with a quantum yield of about 0.13. This reductive reaction can proceed even in the air-saturated solution with the rate about one third of that of the deaerated solution. For both cases the rate is simply proportional to the absorption of light. 2. When the concentration of dissolved oxygen is more than about twice that of acridine concentration, the rate of the reaction is approximately equal to that of the air-saturated solution independent of the oxygen concentration, and at the same time oxygen is consumed at the rate about twice as great as that of the reduction of acridine. Hence, when the existent oxygen is exhausted, the rate gains the value of the deaerated solution. 3. All the above results are almost entirely independent of temperature. 4. A possible scheme was proposed in which a certain type of intermediate is formed between semireduced acridine and oxygen and, from this intermediate acridine is partially recovered accompanied with the consumption of oxygen and, in competition with this, acridane is poduced, both by a bimolecular process.