Hydrocarbon anions

In the discussion of the relative acidity of carboxylic acids in Chapter 1, the thermodynamic acidity, expressed as the acid dissociation constant, was taken as the measure of acidity. It is straightforward to determine dissociation constants of such adds in aqueous solution by measurement of the titration curve with a pH-sensitive electrode (pH meter). Determination of the acidity of carbon acids is more difficult. Because most are very weak acids, very strong bases are required to cause deprotonation. Water and alcohols are far more acidic than most hydrocarbons and are unsuitable solvents for generation of hydrocarbon anions. Any strong base will deprotonate the solvent rather than the hydrocarbon. For synthetic purposes, aprotic solvents such as ether, tetrahydrofuran (THF), and dimethoxyethane (DME) are used, but for equilibrium measurements solvents that promote dissociation of ion pairs and ion clusters are preferred. Weakly acidic solvents such as DMSO and cyclohexylamine are used in the preparation of strongly basic carbanions. The high polarity and cation-solvating ability of DMSO facilitate dissociation... 

Trigollenine (18) and the pseudo-cross-conjugated Homarine (19) are isoconjugate with the isopropenylbenzene anion, which is an odd alternant hydrocarbon anion. Therefore, these betaines belong to class 9 and 13, respectively. 

Demethylvasconine (85) (9-methoxy-5-methyl-phenanthridin-8-olate) presented in Scheme 31 was found in Crinum kirkii (95P1291) (Amaryllidaceae). Although published as cation, no information about the anion of this alkaloid is given. Its relationship to other alkaloids of this class, however, makes a betainic structure more than likely and this is confirmed by a comparison of the NMR data of 85 with the cationic and betainic alkaloids presented in Table III. This betaine is isoconjugate with the 2-methylphenanthrene anion and thus defined the alkaloid as a member of class 1 (odd alternant hydrocarbon anions). Whereas substitution of the isoconjugate phenanthridinium moiety at the 1-position with an anionic fragment results in zwitterions (cf. Section III.D), the phenanthridinium-2-olate is a mesomeric betaine. 

Benzo[c]phenanthridine alkaloids are widespread in Papaveraceae, Fumariaceae, and Rutaceae. Fagaridine (118), the structure of which had to be revised, is a derivative of the unknown 5-methyl-benzo[c]phenan-thridine-8-olate (119) which is isoconjugate with the 2-methyl-chrysene anion (Scheme 43). Thus, Fagaridine is a member of class 1 of conjugated heterocyclic mesomeric betaines, which are isoconjugate with odd alternant hydrocarbon anions. 

The oxoaporphine alkaloids Teliglazine (126), Corunnine (127), Nandazurine (128), PO-3 (129), A-Methylliriodendronine (130), and A,(9-Dimethylliriodendronine (131) contain the 6-methyl-7-oxo-dibenzo [Je,g]quinolinium-l-olate ring system 125 which is isoconjugate with the l-methyl-7-methylene-7H-benzo[Je]anthracene anion (Scheme 46). Therefore, these alkaloids belong to class 1, i.e., heterocyclic mesomeric betaines isoconjugate with odd alternant hydrocarbon anions. Another... 

Methylisoquinolinium 2-carboxylate (230), originally prepared by Quast (70LA64), was recently identified as a defensive betaine from Photuris versicolor fireflies (99JNP378). It is a pseudo-cross-conjugated mesomeric betaine isoconjugate to the odd alternant hydrocarbon 2-isopropenyl-naphthalene anion which is an odd alternant hydrocarbon anion. This compound therefore is a member of class 13, which is very rare. The UV absorption maxima Imax (methanol) were found at 235 (4.35), 320 (shoulder, 3.97), and 326 (3.99) nm. This compound undergoes similar reactions as Homarine 19 (Scheme 75). The NMR data are presented in Table VIII. 

Quaternization of harman (235) with ethyl bromoacetate, followed by cyclization of the pyridinium salt 236 with 1,2-cyclohexane-dione in refluxing ethanol yielded an ester which on hydrolysis gave the pseudo-cross-conjugated mesomeric betaine 237. Decarboxylation resulted in the formation of the alkaloid Sempervirine (238). The PCCMB 237 is isoconjugate with the 11/7-benzo[u]fluorene anion—an odd nonalternant hydrocarbon anion—and belongs to class 14 of heterocyclic mesomeric betaines (Scheme 78). 

Kuhn s carbanion, the all-hydrocarbon anion tris(7//-dibenzo[c,g]-fluorenylidenemethyl)methanide ion [2 ] (Kuhn and Rewicki, 1967a,b), is a stabilized system with tt electrons widely spread over the sp hybridized carbon framework, and was isolated as the potassium salt. It also appears in DMSO solution by dissolving the parent hydrocarbon, resulting in a deep green colour. The pKg value of the precursor hydrocarbon [2]-H is 5.9 in aqueous HCl-DMSO (Kuhn and Rewicki, 1967a,b), and its enormous stability, as compared with cyclopentadiene [9]-H, pKa 18 in DMSO... 

Kuhn s carbanion analogues, [44 ], [45 ] and [46 ], have recently been synthesized, and the precursor hydrocarbons [44]-H, [45]-H and [46J-H dissociate into the respective anions in DMSO to show deep blue colours without any added base (Kinoshita et al., 1994). A fullerene anion, Bu Qb [47 ], has also been obtained as a stable carbanion (Fagan et al., 1992) its lithium salt has been isolated in the form Li [47 ]-4MeCN or Li [47"]-3-4THF. Several stable all-hydrocarbon anions of precursor hydrocarbons with low pKa values ( 7) are listed in Table 2, along with their oxidation potentials, ox-... 

Table Some stable all-hydrocarbon anions derived from hydrocarbon acids with pA a values 7.

MO) with the protons in the nodal plane. The mechanism of coupling (discussed below) requires contact between the unpaired electron and the proton, an apparent impossibility for n electrons that have a nodal plane at the position of an attached proton. A third, pleasant, surprise was the ratio of the magnitudes of the two couplings, 5.01 G/1.79 G = 2.80. This ratio is remarkably close to the ratio of spin densities at the a and (3 positions, 2.62, predicted by simple Hiickel MO theory for an electron placed in the lowest unoccupied MO (LUMO) of naphthalene (see Table 2.1). This result led to Hiickel MO theory being used extensively in the semi-quantitative interpretation of ESR spectra of aromatic hydrocarbon anion and cation radicals. 

The vinyloxy anion formed in this way is much less reactive than hydrocarbon anions and it might be expected that therefore the termination reaction with the propagating cation would be slower. 

More recently, charge-transfer emission was anticipated when solutions of hydrocarbon anion radical salts in dimethoxyethane were mixed with Wurster s blue perchlorate.15 Emission was seen in every instance however, with eight anion radicals derived from 3 to 5 ring-fused aromatic hydrocarbons, the emission was derived from the hydrocarbon rather than the complex. Preliminary studies with smaller hydrocarbons, biphenyl and naphthalene, did show emission in the region (18 kK) where charge transfer was expected. The question as to what pairs of ion radicals will be emissive under what conditions has only begun to be considered. Much opportunity for further experimentation exists in this area. 

Exciplex chemiluminescence has been observed by Weller and Zachariasse128 from the flow reactions of aromatic hydrocarbon anions M " and Wurster s Blue Cations Q +. Since the processes... 

II. Heterocyclic Betaines Isoelectronic with Odd Alternant Hydrocarbon Anions... 

Hydrocarbon anions, such as cyclopentadienyl and analogs (fluorenyl, indenyl, pentadienyl), substitute for fluoride, leading, for example, to phenylcyclopentadiene as a Cr(CO)3 complex on the arene (equation 15).67... 

Because many electron-deficient cation-radicals are less stable and have much more reactivity, cation-radical studies were harder to do with slower accumulation of the relevant literature. Thus, the Landolt-Boemstein reference book devotes 149 pages to hydrocarbon anion radicals (1980, vol. 9dl), whereas only 15 pages are reserved for hydrocarbon cation... 

Table 12.1 shows some organometallic lithium compounds. It is seen from their formulas that these compounds are ionic. As discussed in Section 12.2, 1A metals have low electronegativities and form ionic compounds with hydrocarbon anions. Of these elements, lithium tends to form metal-carbon bonds with the most covalent character therefore, lithium compounds are more stable (though generally quite reactive) than other organometallic compounds of group 1A metals, most... 

Curved Airrhenius plots and negative standard isotopic entropies have been observed for proton abstraction from a hydrocarbon acid (Bell et al., 1956) and for proton transfer to hydrocarbon anions (Caldin and Kasparian, 1965). A negative A8° value has also been associated with ku/kd for proton transfer to allylmercuric iodide (Kreevoy et al., 1966b). 

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