PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIVITY OF 1,5-BENZODIAZ EPINE-2-ONES IN SOLUTION

A study of the photoreactivity of eight 1,5-benzodiazepine-2-one deriv atives was performed in degassed methanol(conc <10(-2) M). These compo unds were found to be photoreactive only when irradiation vas conducte d through quartz vessels with very low conversion quantum yields (PHI( R) <10(-4)). Seven of these compounds are not fluorescent at room temp erature but luminescent in rigid matrix (methanol glass) at 77K. It wa s shown that compound 3 (with a phenyl group on position 4) gives two major photoproducts resulting of the alpha-scission of the carbonyl gr oup.