Experimental Studies with Anionic Species

An early electrochemical study of corannulene revealed the presence of two well-defined polarographic waves with half-wave potentials of-1.88 and -2.36 V (r-butylammonium perchlorate in acetonitrile). The first wave represented a reversible, one-electron reduction leading to radical anion formation (emerald green solution) further characterized by UV-VIS and ESR. The second wave was reported to be associated with the formation of a bright red species which is not paramagnetic, but it is not believed to be the dianion, but rather some decay product of it. Treatment of THF solutions of 8 with sodium and potassium metals also led to the formation of the same species.  

Recently, an NMR study of the diamagnetic species resulting from lithium reduction of 8 was reported. The THF solution revealed a single H NMR peak at 6.95 ppm, and three C NMR lines at 86.8, 95.1, and 112.4 ppm, indicating that the reduced species retains the high symmetry of neutral corannulene. Moreover, consideration of the C NMR chemical shift, as compared to neutral 8, provides a 

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Any explanation of facial selectivity must account for the diastereoselection observed in reactions of acyclic aldehydes and ketones and high stereochemical preference for axial attack in the reduction of sterically unhindered cyclohexanones along with observed substituent effects. A consideration of each will follow. Many theories have been proposed [8, 9] to account for experimental observations, but only a few have survived detailed scrutiny. In recent years the application of computational methods has increased our understanding of selectivity and can often allow reasonable predictions to be made even in complex systems. Experimental studies of anionic nucleophilic addition to carbonyl groups in the gas phase [10], however, show that this proceeds without an activation barrier. In fact Dewar [11] suggested that all reactions of anions with neutral species will proceed without activation in the gas phase. The transition states for reactions such as hydride addition to carbonyl compounds cannot therefore be modelled by gas phase procedures. In solution, desolvation of the anion is considered to account for the experimentally observed barrier to reaction. 

Hydroxides. The hydrolysis of uranium has been recendy reviewed (154,165,166), yet as noted in these compilations, studies are ongoing to continue identifying all of the numerous solution species and soHd phases. The very hard uranium(IV) ion hydrolyzes even in fairly strong acid (- 0.1 Af) and the hydrolysis is compHcated by the precipitation of insoluble hydroxides or oxides. There is reasonably good experimental evidence for the formation of the initial hydrolysis product, U(OH) " however, there is no direct evidence for other hydrolysis products such as U(OH) " 2> U(OH)" 2> U(OH)4 (or UO2 2H20). There are substantial amounts of data, particulady from solubiUty experiments, which are consistent with the neutral species U(OH)4 (154,167). It is unknown whether this species is monomeric or polymeric. A new study under reducing conditions in NaCl solution confirms its importance and reports that it is monomeric (168). 8olubihty studies indicate that the anionic species U(OH) , if it exists, is only of minor importance (169). There is limited evidence for polymeric species such as Ug(OH) " 25 (1 4). 

The chemistry of radical sites adjacent to phosphatoxy centers elicited interest because of the involvement of such species in DNA degradation processes. These species can give rise to rearrangement, elimination, and substitution products, and for some time concerted eliminations and migrations as well as heterolysis to a radical cation and a phosphate anion were considered to be involved (Scheme 2). Recently, experimental studies of the l,2-dibenzyl-2-(diphenylphosphatoxy)-2-phenylethyl radical and complementary theoretical studies of l,l-dimethyl-2-(dimethylphosphatoxy)ethyl radical have been interpreted as indicating that a radical cation/anion pathway with initial formation of 49 is favored. ... 

When an electron is injected into a polar solvent such as water or alcohols, the electron is solvated and forms so-called the solvated electron. This solvated electron is considered the most basic anionic species in solutions and it has been extensively studied by variety of experimental and theoretical methods. Especially, the solvated electron in water (the hydrated electron) has been attracting much interest in wide fields because of its fundamental importance. It is well-known that the solvated electron in water exhibits a very broad absorption band peaked around 720 nm. This broad absorption is mainly attributed to the s- p transition of the electron in a solvent cavity. Recently, we measured picosecond time-resolved Raman scattering from water under the resonance condition with the s- p transition of the solvated electron, and found that strong transient Raman bands appeared in accordance with the generation of the solvated electron [1]. It was concluded that the observed transient Raman scattering was due to the water molecules that directly interact with the electron in the first solvation shell. Similar results were also obtained by a nanosecond Raman study [2]. This finding implies that we are now able to study the solvated electron by using vibrational spectroscopy. In this paper, we describe new information about the ultrafast dynamics of the solvated electron in water, which are obtained by time-resolved resonance Raman spectroscopy. 

There is some disagreement over when diffuse functions should be used. Certainly most workers employ them routinely in studying anions and excited states, but not ordinary lone pair molecules (molecules with heteroatoms, like ethers and amines). A reasonable recommendation is to study with and without diffuse functions species representative of the problem at hand, for which experimental results are known, and see if these functions help. A paper by Warner [52] gives useful references and a good account of the efficacy of diffuse functions in treating certain molecules with heteroatoms. He settles on the 6-31+G, i.e. 6-31+G(d), basis. 

Whenever it is feasible, it is useful to study encounter equilibria experimentally, as in the case of Co(III) complexes in water and non-aqueous solvents [7]. There are some weaknesses in equation (7.3) as evidenced by (i) the formation of anionic species by overcompensation of the original positive charge of the metal complex, (ii) lack of evidence of outer-sphere complexation in some cases like Co(en)j+ with Fe(CN) - and (iii) the fact that outer-sphere complexes are preferred over inner-sphere complexes in several systems. 

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