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A new reaction mode for triarylboranes under photochemical conditions was discovered. Photoirradiation of dimesitylboryl-substituted (hetero)arenes produced spirocyclic boraindanes, where one of the C−H bonds in the ortho-methyl groups of the mesityl substituents was formally added in a syn fashion to a C−C double bond of the (hetero)aryl group. Quantum chemical calculations and laser flash photolysis measurements indicated that the reaction proceeds through a [1,6]-sigmatropic rearrangement. This behavior is reminiscent of the photochemical reaction mode of arylalkenylketones, thus demonstrating the isosteric relation between tricoordinate organoboron compounds and the corresponding pseudo-carbocationic species in terms of pericyclic reactions. Despite the disrupted π-conjugation, the resulting spirocyclic boraindanes exhibited a characteristic absorption band at relatively long wavelengths ( λ=370-400 nm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A photoinduced electron-transfer reaction of 2,2-dianisyl-4-isopropylidene-3,3-dimethylcyclobutanone ( 1 ) in benzene gave two unexpected CA-adducts, 5,5-dianisyl-4,4-dimethyl-3-[1-(4-hydroxy-2,3,5,6-tetrachlorophenyl)methylethylidene]dihydrofuran-2-one ( 7 ) and 2,2-dianisyl-4-(4-hydroxy-2,3,5,6-tetrachlorophenoxy)-4-isopropenyl-3,3-dimethylcyclobutanone ( 8 ), while the reaction in acetonitrile did not, suggesting significant solvent effects on the product distribution. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]