Charge-transfer (CT) complexes formed between various para-substituted
benzoyl chlorides and triethylamine in acetonitrile have been studied
spectrophotometrically. Photoactivation of these CT complexes lead to
products arising from the reactions of acyl and aminoalkyl radicals.
These photochemical processes have been utilized to generate acyl radi
cals from O-allylsalicylyl chloride which undergoes intramolecular cyc
lization to form 3-methylchroman-4-one 20 in good yields.