Nitrobenzene radical cations

Allyl (27, 60, 119-125) and benzyl (26, 27, 60, 121, 125-133) radicals have been studied intensively. Other theoretical studies have concerned pentadienyl (60,124), triphenylmethyl-type radicals (27), odd polyenes and odd a,w-diphenylpolyenes (60), radicals of the benzyl and phenalenyl types (60), cyclohexadienyl and a-hydronaphthyl (134), radical ions of nonalternant hydrocarbons (11, 135), radical anions derived from nitroso- and nitrobenzene, benzonitrile, and four polycyanobenzenes (10), anilino and phenoxyl radicals (130), tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine radical cation (56), tetracyanoquinodi-methane radical anion (62), perfluoro-2,l,3-benzoselenadiazole radical anion (136), 0-protonated neutral aromatic ketyl radicals (137), benzene cation (138), benzene anion (139-141), paracyclophane radical anion (141), sulfur-containing conjugated radicals (142), nitrogen-containing violenes (143), and p-semi-quinones (17, 144, 145). Some representative results are presented in Figure 12. 

The homopolymerization ofl consists of a room-temperature reaction of the monomer dissolved in nitrobenzene in the presence of anhydrous ferric chloride. Polymerizations were carried out under a stream of dry nitrogen. As depicted in Scheme 2, the homopolymerization of 1 to form 6FNE takes place by means of the Scholl reaction. The mechanism of the Scholl reaction was assumed to proceed through a radical-cation intermediate derived from the single-electron oxidation of the monomer and its subsequent electrophilic addition to the nucleophilic monomer. The reaction releases two hydrogens, both as protons, to form the... 

The unexpected formation of the blue crystalline radical cation (97) from the reaction of triazinium salt (98) with tetracyanoethylene has been reported and the product identified by its EPR spectrum and by X-ray crystallography (Scheme 42).199 Carboxylic acids react with the photochemically produced excited state of N-t-a-phenynitrone (PBN) to furnish acyloxy spin adducts RCOOPBN. The reaction was assumed to proceed via ET oxidation of PBN to give the PBN radical cation followed by reaction with RCO2H.200 The mechanism of the protodiazoniation of 4-nitrobenzenediazonium fluoroborate to nitrobenzene in DMF has been studied.201 Trapping experiments were consistent with kinetic isotope effects calculated for the DMF radical cation. The effect of the coupling of radicals with different sulfur radical cations in diazadithiafulvalenes has been investigated.202... 

The carbon dioxide anion radical was used for one-electron reductions of nitrobenzene diazonium cations, nitrobenzene itself, quinones, aliphatic nitro compounds, acetaldehyde, acetone and other carbonyl compounds, maleimide, riboflavin, and certain dyes (Morkovnik Okhlobystin 1979). This anion radical reduces organic complexes of Com and Rum into appropriate complexes of the metals in the valence 2 state (Morkovnik Okhlobystin 1979). In the case of the pentammino-p-nitrobenzoato-cobalt(III) complex, the electron-transfer reaction passes a stage of the formation of the Co(III) complex with the p-nitrophenyl anion radical fragment. This intermediate complex transforms into the final Co(II) complex with the p-nitrobenzoate ligand as a result of an intramolecular electron transfer. Scheme 1-89 illustrates this sequence of transformations ... 

Radical cations that are produced by electrochemical oxidation are not stable in solvents with appreciable base character. This results because such radicals are subject to attack by available nucleophiles, and solvents that contain donor electron pairs are good nucleophiles. Cation radicals are most stable in solvents that are good Lewis acids and show negligible basic properties. Some of the solvent systems that have been employed to stabilize electrochemically produced cation radicals include nitromethane and nitrobenzene,21 dichloro-methane,22 trifluoroacetic acid-dichloromethane (1 9),23 nitromethane-AlCl3,24 and AlCl3-NaCl (1 l).25 Organic chemists should be familiar with the stabilization of carbonium ions by superacid media.26 These media usually contain fluorosulfuric acid, or mixtures of fluorosulfuric acid with antimony pen-tachloride and sulfur dioxide, and are potent solvents for the production and stabilization of organic cations. 

Next to the styrene compounds, /V-vinylcarbazol has been most extensively studied by pulse radiolysis. When IV-vinylcarbazole is irradiated in aerated benzonitril, the cyclodimer of the Af-vinylcarbazole is formed the polymer is formed in both aerated and deaerated nitrobenzene. Tagawa et al. have proved that the radical cation of Af-vinylcarbazole plays an important role in both cyclodimerization and polymerization processes [39-43]. 

In mineral acids, with or without added oxidizer, according to the oxidizing power of the acid, radical-cation and/or dication salts are formed. The ion-radical halides and thiocyanates of nearly 1 1 stoicheiometry can be prepared by mixing solutions of TTT acetate and solutions containing an excess of the sodium or potassium salt of the anion.Simply by mixing TTT with iodine in nitrobenzene, with different proportions of the reagents, two kinds of crystals are obtained with the composition (TTT)I and (TTTlzIj. ... 

The observations that these reactions are inhibited by nitrobenzene (a free radical inhibitor), no hydrogenated by-products are formed and that CF BrCl gives only a-CFjCl carbonyl compounds, led the authors to propose a radical chain mechanism for these reactions (Scheme 1). The chain initiation step is the formation of XFiC radical and enamine radical cation by electron transfer from the enamine to BrCFjX. The addition of this perhaloalkyl radical to the enamine generates a RjNC R R" type radical which is known to have an unusually low oxidation potential with 1/2 in the range of — 1 V (sce). An electron transfer from this radical to another molecule of perhaloalkane then takes place to form the iminium salt and another perhaloalkyl radical which continues the chain. A similar mechanism operates in the case of Rp. ... 

This peak potential also fits the linear correlation established between pola-rographic oxidation half-wave potentials for substituted aromatic compounds and their ionization potentials [161]. It should be noted that the radical cation of 66 may be either a 7r-delocalized or S,S 2c, 3e o species. Compound 67 shows a reversible first oxidation potential in acetonitrile with E1/2=0.87 V vs SCE [162]. Perylene derivative 68 exhibits a first oxidation peak in nitrobenzene at 0.65 V vs Ag/AgCl [163]. Because of the good thermal stability and high electrical conductivity of the radical cation of 68 [164], functionalized analogues have also been prepared and studied [165]. Poly(alkylthio)pyracyclene has been studied [166]. 

In general, radical cations are less stable than their anionic counterparts, but relatively stable cations can be obtained from reactants in which those positions which carry the highest charge density in the radical are blocked with respect to either proton loss or nucleophilic attack. For example the 9,10-diphenylanthracene and rubrene radical cations are sufficiently stable to give reversible cyclic voltammo-grams. Radical cations appear to be more stable in nitrobenzene than in acetonitrile solutions. Coating of the anode with insoluble insulating polymeric ffims is a common hazard in anodic oxidation systems but it can be alleviated by the use of scraped electrodes and periodic polarity-reversal techniques. 

Nitronium salts are capable to induce the OCA reaction via generation of aryl radical-cations, even with relatively electron-poor arenes, such as benzene [105]. Namely, NOBF4 in catalytic amount (1-5 mol%) efficiently catalysed the oxidative coupling reactions of polyalkoxybenzenes in dichloromethane (containing 20% trifluoroacetic acid) under exposure to air affording the corresponding biaryls in almost quantitative yields [105]. Finally, oxidative couplings of arenes can be accomplished under the classical Scholl reaction conditions [106]. For example, 1-ethoxynaphthalene (419) was coupled to binaphthyl 420 by reaction with anhydrous aluminum chloride and nitrobenzene (as oxidant) in 65% yield, Scheme 28. 

The stabilization of the radical cation in SDS micelles is consistent with the formation of the surface complex already mentioned in Sect. 2.1.1. There are a number of examples of the stabilization of radical ions in micelles of the opposite sign. The electrochemical reduction of nitrobenzene in homogeneous solutions is two-electronic, but in micellar CTAB solutions it is resolved into two separate reactions [135]. So the presence of cationic micelles inhibits the disproportionation of nitrobenzene radical anions. It may be caused by the reduced mobility of the radical ions in the surface layer of the micelles due to complex formation with the end groups of the micelles. It can account for the inhibition of the disproportionation because the latter needs a coUision of two radical ions. The salt formation of the radical cation of N-methylphenothiazine with the end groups of SDS micelles was proposed in the study of electrochemical oxidation of N-methylphenothiazine in micellar solution [136]. Tetracyanoquinodi-methane is solubilized in dodecylpyridinium-inverted micelles in the form of a radical anion with the oxidation of the iodide ion [137]. 

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