Antiaromatic ions

Aromatic Antiaromatic Ions Aromatic Compounds (page 662 ... 

Oxepin, 4-ethoxycarbonyl-2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-synthesis, 7, 578 Oxepin, 2-methyl-enthalpy of isomerization, 7, 555 Oxepin, 2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-reduction, 7, 563 synthesis, 7, 578 Oxepin, 2,3,4,7-tetrahydro-synthesis, 7, 578 Oxepin, 2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-oxidation, 7, 563 reduction, 7, 563 Oxepin-2,6-dicarboxylic acid stability, 7, 565 Oxepinium ions synthesis, 7, 559 Oxepins, 7, 547-592 antiaromaticity, 4, 535 applications, 7, 590-591 aromatization, 7, 566 bond lengths and angles, 7, 550, 551 cycloaddition reactions, 7, 27, 569 deoxygenation, 7, 570 dipole moment, 7, 553 disubstituted synthesis, 7, 584... 

In the case of 60, the ion has been prepared and has been shown to be a diradical in the ground state, as predicted by the discussion on page 58. Evidence that 60 is not only nonaromatic but also antiaromatic comes from studies on 64 and 66. When 64 is treated with silver perchlorate in propionic acid, the molecule is rapidly solvolyzed (a reaction in which the intermediate 65 is formed see Chapter 5). Under the same conditions, 66 undergoes no solvolysis at all that is, 60 does not form. If 60 were merely nonaromatic, it should be about as stable as 65 (which of course has no resonance stabilization at all). The fact that it is so much more reluctant to form indicates that 60 is much less stable than 65. It is noted that under certain conditions, 65 can be generated solvolytically. ... 

A thiepin is formally isoelectronic with the 8ic-electron 1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene and 1,3,5-cycloheptatrienide ion and, if planar, may actually be antiaromatic. Recently, the question of the antiaromaticity of thiepin has been the subject of interest for both synthetic and theoretical chemists. The apparent instability of the thiepin ring system is in good agreement with theoretical calculations. Dewar and Trinajstic 68) have reported that the thiepin is considered to be weakly antiaromatic (RE = — 1.45 kcal mol-1) based on PPP SCF MO calculations. On the other hand, Hess Jr. and Schaad 69) have found it to be substantially antiaromatic (RE = —0.232 J) by using the Huckel MO method. This result was also supported by a graph-theoretical treatment by Aihara 70). 

High-level ab initio calculations have provided more precise structural details, and relative stability estimates, for members of the 7-norbornyl anion series (12-15). Far from being classical carbanions, each of the ions is stabilized by delocalization of the negative charge into accessible LUMOs of anti-parallel C—C bonds of the molecular framework and each is more stable than methyl carbanion. Consequently, it is unlikely that solution studies of the unsaturated systems will reveal any bishomo-antiaromatic character. 

Sumonja, M. Tidwell, T. T., /. Am. Chem. Soc., 1997, 119, 2371-2375, and references therein). It has the properties expected of an antiaromatic compound. It is very difficult to generate 1 under solvolytic (SnI) conditions from the precursor iodide 2. Nevertheless, 2 undergoes SN2 reaction unusually rapidly (2 reacts with bromide ion about 10 times faster than 3). 

Addition of two electrons to, or removal of two electrons from, a 4n antiaromatic ring converts it to a 4n + 2 system, which should be aromatic. Several examples of such ions are known. 

The electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra of the radical ions of 230 indicate there are no large deviations from the free-electron g value that would have been expected had the 3d orbitals of the sulfur atom played an important part in influencing the spin density of the molecule. Consequently, structure 230 may not be the main contributor to the electronic structure of the compound. Such stability in this compound could be attributed to the inertness of the NSN group and the presence of the aromatic naphthalene ring. However, the H-NMR chemical shifts (8 = 4.45 ppm) suggest the compound is antiaromatic. The compound is therefore referred to as an ambiguous aromatic compound (78JA1235). 

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