Radical cations of phenyl-substituted aziridines: what are the conditions for ring opening?

Radical cations were generated from different phenyl-substituted aziridines by pulse radiolysis in aqueous solution containing TlOH.+, N3. or SO4.

Formation of radical cations of aziridines generated by laser flash photolysis.

The radical cations of 1-butyl-trans-2,3-diphenyl aziridine (1), 1-butyl-2-phenyl aziridine (2), 1,2-diphenyl aziridine (3) and 1-(p-methoxyphenyl)-2-phenyl aziridine (4) were generated upon laser flash photolysis in aqueous and aqueous acetonitrile solutions by direct photoionisation as indicated by the broad absorption band of the solvated electron above 550 nm as well.