ABSTRACT
The history of sulfoxide photochemistry dates back at least to the early 1960s, but this important functional group has received substantially less attention than some of the other chromophores whose chemistry was explored in those years. The aliphatic compounds have been examined by gas phase physical chemistry methods, which also justify a separate treatment. This chapter presents benzylic, allylic systems, aryl alkyl, diaryl sulfoxides, and extrusions. It shows that the isolated materials from these reactions are only infrequently the primary photochemical products. A completely different sort of photochemical deoxygenation reaction is suggested by the work of P. J. Kropp. The photolysis of several other monofunctional sulfoxides was reported by J. R. Shelton and K. E. Davis. The absorption spectrum of the sulfoxide chromophore conjugated to aromatic nuclei has also been examined. Stereomutation at sulfur was observed in all cases where it could be detected due to diastereomeric interconversions.
