Electron 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanobenzoquinone

Particular attention is deserved for the paper by Miller and co-workers describing the new procedure for the synthesis and characterization of cyanil (35) as the strongest isolated electron acceptor and its reduced forms [55], The synthesis was carried out in a three-step procedure from commercially available p-bromanil or 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanobenzoquinone (DDQ) and methanolic NaCN to form the tetracyanohydroquinone which was transformed into the insoluble disilver salt by treatment with silver nitrate followed by bromine oxidation to yield cyanil as a yellow crystalline material. 

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