A series of di (naphthyl) carbenes (DNCs) having methyl groups on aromatic rings were generated by photolysis of the corresponding diazo precursors and studied not only by product analysis, but also by spectroscopic means.“Parent” triplet α-DNC was shown to have a half-life of 70 ms, which is some 30 times larger than that of triplet diphenylcarbene (3DPC), whereas parent triplet β-DNC was 2 orders of magnitude shorter-lived than the α- ...
