Photochemical transformations of 1-arylcyanomethyl-9,10-anthraquinones
were studied. it was established that under irradiation, the hydrogen
atom of the substituted methyl group is transferred to a peri-quinoid
oxygen atom to form the corresponding 9-hydroxy-1, 10-anthraquinone-1
-arylcyanomethides, Dark transformations of photoinduced quinone-methi
des result from three competing parallel processes: intramolecular tra
nsfer of the hydrogen atom, a reaction with a solvent (alcohol), and o
xidation by dissolved oxygen. The kinetics of these reactions were stu
died.