Eight aryl-substituted 1, 4-pentadienes were subjected to photochemically induced electron transfer using dicyanonaphthalene and dicyanoanthracene. The radical-cations produced underwent a regioselective cyclization, wherein one electron-deficient aryl group of one diarylvinyl moiety bonds to the β-carbon of the second diarylvinyl group. A pattern of regioselectivity and reactivity was encountered. As cyclization proceeds, the odd-electron ...
