ChemInform Abstract: Laser Induced Synthesis: Condensation of Acrylonitrile on Mesityl Oxide

The photoaddition of acrylonitrile to mesityl oxide was accomplished at 355 nm with high quantum yield (15%) using a pulsed laser (intensity= 9 MW/cm 2 , pulse duration 13 ns, repetition rate= 10Hz) and selectively led to three products in contrast to irradiation with a mercury lamp which principally gave an acrylonitrile polymer and with continuous wave laser (intensity= 5.7 W/cm 2 ) which gave a much lower quantum yield (0.4%).