The photolysis of tetrahydrofuran and of some of its methyl derivatives at 185 nm

The uv photolysis of tetrahydrofuran, 1, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, 2, cis-2,5-dimethyltetrahydrofuran, 3, trans-2,5-dimethyltetrahydrofuran, 4, and 2,2,5,5-tetramethyltetrahydrofuran, 5, has been investigated by product analysis in the liquid phase, and quantum yields have been determined. The photolysis of tetrahydrofuran itself was also studied in the gas phase at pressures ranging from 1 to 120 atm (pressurizing gas N2); and very little difference was found between the photolytic behaviour of the vapour at 120 atm and that of the liquid. The major products are in ail cases the cyclopropanes and the corresponding carbonyl compounds, as well as the olefinic alcohols and the carbonyl compounds that are isomeric with the starting material. These products are considered to be formed by the two major primary processes [i] and [ii].[Formula: see text]The cyclopropanes formed in reaction [i] retain some excess energy (apparently more than is needed to realize the trimethylene form), and in the photolysis of tetrahydrofuran vapour the hot cyclopropane rearranges to a considerable extent into propene. The propene to cyclopropane yield ratio falls strongly with increasing pressure, to a value of 0.065 at 120 atm. A similar value is observed in the liquid phase photolysis.The five-membered oxyl alkyl diradical from reaction [ii] is the likely intermediate in the cis-trans photoisomerization that is observable with the 2,5-dimethyltetrahydrofurans [Formula: see text]. The photolysis of these compounds also demonstrates that steric factors have a strong bearing on the course of the reaction, e.g. the quantum yield of methylcyclopropane from the cis compound is 0.22, vs. 0.08 from the trans compound.Molecular hydrogen is produced if the tetrahydrofurans carry hydrogen in α-position. Its production is enhanced if the α-position is shared with a methyl group (1 gives a hydrogen quantum yield of 0.07, 2 of 0.17, 3 of 0.27, 4 of 0.29, and 5 of zero).