Photochemical behaviour of Schiff base liquid crystals based on isoxazole and isoxazoline ring. A kinetic approach

The kinetic study on the hydrolysis of Schiff bases (SBs) 1a-c and 2a-c induced by UV-vis was undertaken as a complementary study of the stability in solution and in bulk of the SBs. Solutions in chloroform were exposed to UV-vis and acquisition data occurred for 1a-c and for 2a-c in 21 degrees C, 30 degrees C, 35 degrees C and 40 degrees C. Kinetic profile for 1a-c and 2a-c displayed the similar photochemical behaviour in that four temperature values. At 21 degrees C, two kinetic regimes were observed where the decomposition of SBs is faster at the initial stage, with no linear plot of absorbance vs time, and after the kinetic profile obeyed a linear behaviour. A mathematical treatment of the experimental data was applied, which allowed associating the initial stage data with a second-order reaction, and the final stage of the hydrolysis with a first-order reaction. The mechanism of photochemical hydrolysis of SBs 1a and 2a was addressed. It was composed of three parts, the excitation, then the isomerisation and activation processes of tetrahedral intermediate and, the last process, a collapse of the intermediate to the yielded products of the hydrolysis aldehydes and amines which were detected by their UV-vis spectrum. [GRAPHICS] .