Demonstration of a Stereospecific Photochemical Meta Effect

A fundamental goal of photochemistry is to understand how structural features a chromophore can make specific bonds within molecule prone cleavage by light, or photolabile. The meta effect an example regiochemical explanation for photolability, in which electron donating groups on aromatic ring cause photolability selectively at the position. Here, we show, using containing one with meta-methoxy group and para-methoxy group, that two stereoisomers same compounds react light differently, based simply three-dimensional positioning anisyl ring. result compound configuration both stereogenic centers are photolabile while opposite do not light. Furthermore, time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations show distinct excitation pathways each stereoisomer.