Abstract Rates of decarboxylation (kCgR) have been estimated for the acyloxy radicals 7a-f formed in the photolysis of substituted 1-naphthylmethyl alkanoates 6a-f. These rates are based on a proposed mechanism involving initial carbon-oxygen homolytic bond cleavage from the excited singlet state. The products are formed by two competing pathways: electron transfer in the radical pair to give an ion pair and decarboxylation. Measured product ...
