Radical ions, structure

Spectroscopic studies with photo-CIDNP techniques revealed the existence of two distinct radical cations generated from hexamethyldewarben-zene, presumably rapidly interconverting. In one of these, the central carbon—carbon bond is significantly stretched and bears the unpaired spin density. In the second, the spin density is confined to one of the olefinic bonds. This example is the first to show conclusively that two different radical ion structures can correspond to a single minimum on the ground-state surface of the neutral (Roth et al., 1984). 

Free Radicals. In the formula of a polyatomic radical an unpaired electron(s) is(are) indicated by a dot placed as a right superscript to the parentheses (or square bracket for coordination compounds). In radical ions the dot precedes the charge. In structural formulas, the dot may be placed to indicate the location of the unpaired electron(s). 

Much of the interpretation of electroorganic reactions has assumed the model implied in the above discussion, i.e. conversion of the neutral substrate into a radical ion followed by distinct chemical and/or electrochemical steps. It follows therefore that specific structural effects should be found in the reactions of the intermediates. 

Another type of interaction is the association of radical ions with the parent compounds. Recently (118), a theoretical study was reported on the interaction of butadiene ions with butadiene. Assuming a sandwich structure for the complex, the potential curve based on an extended Hiickel calculation for two approaching butadienes (B + B) revealed only repulsion, as expected, while the curves for B + and B + B" interactions exhibit shallow minima (.068 and. 048 eV) at an interplanar distance of about 3.4 A. From CNDO/2 calculations, adopting the parameter set of Wiberg (161), the dimer cation radical, BJ, appears to be. 132 eV more stable than the separate B and B species, whereas the separate B and B species are favored by. 116eV over the dimer anion radical, BJ. This finding is consistent with experimental results formation of the dimer cation radical was proved in a convincing manner (162) while the attempts to detect the dimer anion radical have been unsuccessful. With other hydrocarbons, the reported formation of benzene dimer anion radical (163) represents an exceptional case, while the dimeric cation radical was observed... 

Zeolites are structurally related to colorless sodalite, Na4Cl[Al3Si3012], and to deeply colored ultramarines. These have aluminosilicate frameworks that enclose cations but no water molecules (Fig. 16.25). Their special feature is the additional presence of anions in the hollows, e.g. Cl-, S()4, S2, or S. The two last-mentioned species are colored radical ions (green and blue, respectively) that are responsible for the brilliant colors. The best-known representative is the blue mineral lapis lazuli, Na4S (.[Al3Si3012], which is also produced industrially and serves as color pigment. 

Exceeding the limitation of molecular dynamics, the steric requirement of trimethylsilyl groups can cause drastic changes both in structure and of molecular properties of organosilicon compounds. For illustration, the so-called "Wurster s-Blue11 radical ions are selected On one-electron oxidation of tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine, its dark-blue radical cation, detected as early as 1879 [11a], is gene-... 

The active site is viewed as an acid-base, cation-anion pair, hence, the basicity of the catalyst depends not only on the proton affinity of the oxide ion but also on the carbanion affinity of the cation. Thus, the acidity of the cation may determine the basicity of the catalyst. Specific interactions, i.e., effects of ion structure on the strength of the interaction, are likely to be evident when the carbanions differ radically in structure when this is likely the concept of catalyst basicity should be used with caution. 

It is fortunate that in many cases we are able to show that there are stable substances (radicals, ions, etc.) of the same type as the hypothetical intermediate and that these more stable or more accessible substances actually have the chemical properties required of the hypothetical ones. Observable radicals and ions have a great variety of degrees of stability, depending on their structures. The extrapolation to the properties of the hypothetical intermediate is therefore a continuous one. 

For many years, investigations on the electronic structure of organic radical cations in general, and of polyenes in particular, were dominated by PE spectroscopy which represented by far the most copious source of data on this subject. Consequently, attention was focussed mainly on those excited states of radical ions which can be formed by direct photoionization. However, promotion of electrons into virtual MOs of radical cations is also possible, but as the corresponding excited states cannot be attained by a one-photon process from the neutral molecule they do not manifest themselves in PE spectra. On the other hand, they can be reached by electronic excitation of the radical cations, provided that the corresponding transitions are allowed by electric-dipole selection rules. As will be shown in Section III.C, the description of such states requires an extension of the simple models used in Section n, but before going into this, we would like to discuss them in a qualitative way and give a brief account of experimental techniques used to study them. 

Takemura and Shida54 prepared the allene radical ion by /-radiolysis of halocarbon solid solution of allene at low temperatures and showed that the radical cation has a lower D2 structure than the precursor with a skew angle of 30-40°. Kubonzo and coworkers55 56 produced by /-radiolysis in a low-temperature halocarbon matrix several derivatives of the allene radical cation, i.e. the radical cations of 1,2-butadiene, 3-methyl-1,2-butadiene,... 

The broad emission and low-fluorescence quantum yield of PPS suggested a distribution of trapping sites in the Si skeleton, which were also considered responsible for the lower-than-expected conductivity. The far-IR spectrum of PPS suggested the existence of cyclohexasilane rings connected by linear chains.361,362 Subsequent investigations by Irie et al. on the electronic absorption spectra of radical ions of poly(alkylsilyne)s were taken to indicate the presence of various cyclic silicon species, in corroboration of this conclusion.363 The large Stokes shift and broadness of the fluorescence emission indicate a range of fluorophore structures, different from the chromophore structures. This is... 

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