A kinetic and product study of the reactions of chlorpromazine
1,
N-methylphenothiazine
2, and
N-ethylphenothiazine
3 with singlet oxygen was carried out in MeOH and MeCN.
1 undergoes exclusive side-chain cleavage, whereas thereactions of
2 and
3, in MeOH, afforded only the corresponding sulfoxides. A mechanism for the reaction of
1 isproposed where the first step involves an interaction betweensinglet oxygen and the side-chain dimethylamino nitrogen.This explains why no side-chain cleavage is observed for
2and
3.