Term: α-expulsion https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.E00008 Definition: A general reaction by which a group attached to the alpha carbon of an excited chromophore is expelled either as an odd electron species or as an anionic species. This reaction should be distinguished from an α-(alpha-)cleavage. Related Terms: 1) chromophore (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C01076). 2) α-(alpha-)cleavage (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.A00004). Source: PAC, 1988, 60, 1055. 'Glossary of terms used in photochemistry (Recommendations 1988)' on page 1059 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198860071055) Citation: 'α-expulsion' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.E00008 License: The IUPAC Gold Book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) for individual terms. Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.