Photochemical Dimerization of Indones: A DFT Study

In this study, DFT calculations were performed in order to identify the reaction products of the photochemical dimerization of indones. Calculations allowed us to assume that all tested reactions occurred in the first excited singlet state. The irradiation of 2-phenyl-5-nitroindone gave the main product, the <i>anti-cis</i> head-to-tail dimer, while the other two compounds found in the experiments were the <i>syn-cis</i> head-to-head dimer and the <i>anti-cis</i> head-to-tail dimer. The irradiation of 2-phenylindone gave the main product, <i>syn-cis</i>-head-to-tail dimer, while the minor products were <i>anti-cis</i>-head-to-tail and <i>anti-cis</i>-head-to-head dimer. The photochemical dimerization of 2-methyl-3-phenylindone gave the main product, <i>anti-cis</i>-head-to-tail dimer, while the minor component of the mixture was <i>syn-cis</i>-head- to-head dimer.