Cation-Radical Acidity

When considering the general aspects of cation radical acidity in Section 1.3.2.A, we intentionally postponed discussion of fragmentation. However, this problem is also of general importance. 

In a landmark paper, Breslow and coworkers described the determination of pA), values of weak hydrocarbon acids by use of thermochemical cycles involving electrochemical reduction data for triarylmethyl, cycloheptatrienyl, and triphenyl- and trialkylcyclopropenyl cations and radicals [9aj. Later, they derived pATa data from standard oxidation potentials and bond-dissociation energies [9b, c]. The methodology was further developed by Nicholas and Arnold [10a] for the determination of cation radical acidities, and later modified and extensively used by Bordwell and coworkers [10b, c] so that homolytic bond-dissociation energies and cation radical... 

Scheme 4. Thermochemical cycle for the determination of metal-hydride cation radical acidities.

Xu, W. and Mariano, P.S., Substituent effects on amine cation radical acidity in regiocontrol of P-(aminoethyl)cyclohexenones photocycloaddition,/. Am. Chem. Soc., 113,1431,1991. 

Delaire et al. [124] have reported that laser photolysis of an acidic solution (pH 2.8) containing PMAvDPA (23) and MV2 + allows the formation of surprisingly long-lived MV + - and DPA cation radicals with a very high charge escape quantum yield. The content of the DPA chromophores in PMAvDPA is as low as less than 1/1000 in the molar ratio DPA/MAA. Figure 20 shows a decay profile of the transient absorption due to MV + monitored at 610 nm [124]. The absorption persists for several milliseconds. As depicted in Fig. 20, the decay obeys second-order kinetics, which yields kb = 3.5 x 10s M 1 s. From the initial optical density measured at 610 nm, the quantum yield for charge escape was estimated to be 0.72 at 0.2 M MV2 +. ... 

This color transformation has been observed in dibenzo-p-dioxin (Structure I) and in its bromo, chloro, nitro, methyl, and ethyl derivatives in addition, the observed electron spin resonance (ESR) signals indicated the presence of paramagnetic species (2, 3). This phenomenon has been attributed to the formation of cation radicals in acid solution. 

Studies were made on a series of chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin cation radicals in trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFMS acid). TFMS acid was... 

The 1-chloro- and 2-chlorodibenzo-p-dioxins, which readily dissolved in TFMS acid, formed cation radicals without UV irradiation or the addition of oxidizing agents. With the exception of broader resonance lines. Figure 3 shows that the five-line pattern observed with 1-chloro-dibenzo-p-dioxin is similar to that of the unsubstituted dibenzo-p-dioxin. Apparently, protons at the 2, 3, 7, and 8 positions became less equivalent... 

Four dichloro isomers, the 1,6-, 2,3-, 2,7-, and 2,8-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxins, were studied. These compounds also dissolve in TFMS acid, forming cation radicals in the absence of oxidizing agents or UV irradiation. The 2,8-isomer (Figure 5) exhibited a three-line spectrum, in agreement with the two equivalent protons in the 3,6 positions. The 2,7-isomer should also exhibit a three-line spectrum, similar to the 2,8-... 

Three isomeric tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxins were studied. All were insoluble in TFMS acid. To dissolve these compounds and form cation radicals, UV irradiation was necessary. The 1,2,3,4-tetrachloro compound was particularly sensitive to UV irradiation, and as a solid, even turned pink when exposed to ordinary fluorescent light. When subjected to constant UV irradiation, radical ions were induced rapidly. The change in the cation radical concentration was monitored by the ESR signal as illustrated in Figure 10. To determine whether the tetrachloro isomer had been converted to lower chlorinated derivatives after UV irradiation, the dissolved dioxin was then poured into ice water and recovered. The GLC retention time of the recovered dioxin was unchanged in addition, no new GLC peaks were observed. Moreover, the ESR spectrum see Figure 11) for the recovered material was not altered between widely... 

Electrochemistry and spectroscopy of the tt cation radical of meso-tetraalkylchlorin (tetra-methyl) and various porphyrins (tetramethyl, tetraethyl, and tetra-ra-propyl) indicate that these do not convert to Nim at low temperatures.280 Optical evidence reveals, however, that oxidation of the tt cation radical of [Ni(pEt2N)(TPP)] leads to a Ni111 cation radical which can be further oxidized to a Ni111 porphyrin dication. Similar studies have been carried out for various other derivatives of me.so-tetraarylporphyrins such as /V-oxides of TPP and 5,10,15,20-tetramesitylpro-phyrin (TMP). Addition of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) to the /V-oxide of [NinTMP] at —25 °C in CH2C12 results in [Nim(TMP)]+ with a rhombic EPR spectrum, g = 2.40, 2.12, and 2.04.281... 

In dichloromethane, the acidic ESE cation radical undergoes a rapid proton transfer (k = 1.9 x 109 s ) to the CA anion radical within the contact ion pair (CIP) to generate the uncharged radical pair (siloxycyclohexenyl radical and hydrochloranil radical) in Scheme 6. Based on the quantum yields of hydro-chloranil radical (HCA ), we conclude that the oxidative elimination occurs by geminate combination of the radical pair within the cage as well as by diffusive separation and combination of the freely diffusing radicals to yield enone and hydrochloranil trimethylsilyl ether, as summarized in Scheme 6. 

The ready separation of the hexachloroantimonate salts of various cation radicals is possible owing to their insolubility in diethyl ether (or hexane) under conditions in which the reduced antimony(III) chloride is highly soluble. In the case of EA+ SbClg", the isolated product is quite pure as determined by iodometric titration. However in many other cases, the Lewis acid SbCl5 effects... 

One of numerous examples of LOX-catalyzed cooxidation reactions is the oxidation and demethylation of amino derivatives of aromatic compounds. Oxidation of such compounds as 4-aminobiphenyl, a component of tobacco smoke, phenothiazine tranquillizers, and others is supposed to be the origin of their damaging effects including reproductive toxicity. Thus, LOX-catalyzed cooxidation of phenothiazine derivatives with hydrogen peroxide resulted in the formation of cation radicals [40]. Soybean LOX and human term placenta LOX catalyzed the free radical-mediated cooxidation of 4-aminobiphenyl to toxic intermediates [41]. It has been suggested that demethylation of aminopyrine by soybean LOX is mediated by the cation radicals and neutral radicals [42]. Similarly, soybean and human term placenta LOXs catalyzed N-demethylation of phenothiazines [43] and derivatives of A,A-dimethylaniline [44] and the formation of glutathione conjugate from ethacrynic acid and p-aminophenol [45,46],... 

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