Delocalization of a charge

Probably the most important development of the past decade was the introduction by Brown and co-workers of a set of substituent constants,ct+, derived from the solvolysis of cumyl chlorides and presumably applicable to reaction series in which a delocalization of a positive charge from the reaction site into the aromatic nucleus is important in the transition state or, in other words, where the importance of resonance structures placing a positive charge on the substituent - -M effect) changes substantially between the initial and transition (or final) states. These ct+-values have found wide application, not only in the particular side-chain reactions for which they were designed, but equally in electrophilic nuclear substitution reactions. Although such a scale was first proposed by Pearson et al. under the label of and by Deno et Brown s systematic work made the scale definitive. 

The n values were high for all of the ionic liquids investigated (0.97-1.28) when compared to molecular solvents. The n values result from measuring the ability of the solvent to induce a dipole in a variety of solute species, and they will incorporate the Coulombic interactions from the ions as well as dipole-dipole and polarizability effects. This explains the consistently high values for all of the salts in the studies. The values for quaternary ammonium salts are lower than those for the monoalkylammonium salts. This probably arises from the ability of the charge center on the cation to approach the solute more closely for the monoalkylammonium salts. The values for the imidazolium salts are lower still, probably reflecting the delocalization of the charge in the cation. 

More recently considered candidates are large molecular anions with delocalized anionic charge, which offer low lattice energies, relatively small ion-ion interaction, and hence sufficient solubility and relatively large conductivity. Delocalization of the charge is achieved by electron-with drawing substituents such as -F or - CF3. Furthermore, these anions show a good electrochemical stability to oxidation. In contrast to Lewis acid-based salts they are chemically more stable with various solvents and often also show excellent thermal stability. 

In electron transfer reactions one studies the conversion of an electron state localized on A to one localized on B. One can also consider the relaxation of a charge localized state to the adiabatic delocalized state [366],... 

The barriers to acetyl group rotation in 84a to d are at least as high as in the acetylacetonate anion (Table 18), indicating a considerable delocalization of negative charge into Ac—Q—Ac. As mentioned later (Table 19), the twist angle in 84a is 73°. ... 

Attempts have been made to correlate the effects of acceptor groups on the C=C barriers by Hammett substituent constants. Since the important interaction is concerned with the delocalization of a negative charge, the cr scale should be more appropriate than the normal a scale (136). However, in the ctp scale, CN is more efficient than COMe, which is contrary to experience, and therefore Shvo et al. preferred the ctr = ctp - o, scale (78 see also Sect. II-C-5). Similarly, in a series of ketene mercaptals, a reasonable correlation was found... 

In general, the stability of the molecular ion increases if n-bonding electrons for the delocalization of the charge are available and it decreases in the presence of preferred sites for bond cleavage, e.g., by a-cleavage. 

In the photochemical one-electron oxidation of aromatic sulfides, dimer radical cations were formed in rapid equilibrium with monomeric radical cation (59). The complex formation of a- and tt-types has been shown to be sensitive to the steric and electronic influence of substituent. For the case of jo-(methylthio)anisole the formation of TT-type dimer was shown to be reduced due to steric hindrance of two methyl groups. No formation of dimer radical cation was observed for jo-(methoxy)thioanisole and diphenyl disulfide where the corresponding monomer radical cations are stabilized by the delocalization of positive charge on the sulfur atom. Density-functional calculations supported the experimental results. The intramolecular formation of similar radical... 

The anions [Ru2Xg] where X = C1, Br, and =1, 2, 3, or 4, have been investigated by spectroelectrochemistry. The Ru Ru complexes exhibit delocalization of electronic charge, the Ru Ru species has a strong Ru—Ru bonding interaction, and the more oxidized systems exhibit no metal-metal bonding interaction. " ... 

With conjugated systems having a net charge, delocalization of the charge also occurs. The situation is analogous for unpaired electrons in conjugated radicals. 

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