Regioselective photoamination of 4-nitroveratrole upon cyclodextrin complexation

Photoamination of 4-nitroveratrole in cyclodextrins with the nucleophiles ammonia, methylamine and hexylamine provides a new route to regioselectivity. This method gives a displaced product para to the nitro group as the predominant product, in contrast to the solution reaction wherein the meta-displaced product predominates. This is due to the change in the mechanistic shift from SN2Ar*, wherein the nitro group is meta-directing, to a mechanism involving electron transfer from the nucleophile to the excited aromatic substrate (SN (ET)Ar*) to give the para-displaced product.