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π-dimerization of pleiadiene radical cations at low temperatures revealed by UV–vis spectroelectrochemistry and quantum theory

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Abstract

One-electron oxidation of the non-alternant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pleiadiene and related cyclohepta[c,d]pyrene and cyclohepta[c,d]fluoranthene in THF produces corresponding radical cations detectable in the temperature range of 293–263 K only on the subsecond time scale of cyclic voltammetry. Although the EPR-active red-coloured pleiadiene radical cation is stable according to the literature in concentrated sulfuric acid, spectroelectrochemical measurements reported in this study provide convincing evidence for its facile conversion into the green-coloured, formally closed shell and, hence, EPR-silent π-bound dimer dication stable in THF at 253 K. The unexpected formation of the thermally unstable dimeric product featuring a characteristic intense low-energy absorption band at 673 nm (1.84 eV; logε max = 4.0) is substantiated by ab initio calculations on the parent pleiadiene molecule and the PF −6 salts of the corresponding radical cation and dimer dication. The latter is stabilized with respect to the radical cation by 14.40 kcal mol−1 (DFT B3LYP) [37.64 kcal mol−1 (CASPT2/DFT B3LYP)]. An excellent match has been obtained between the experimental and TD-DFT-calculated UV–vis spectra of the PF −6 salt of the pleiadiene dimer dication, considering solvent (THF) effects.

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Acknowledgements

R.W.A.H. acknowledges Prof. Dr. R. Broer (University of Groningen, The Netherlands) for fruitful discussions and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) for financial support (the ECHO-grant 700.57.027). Mr. C. Mahabiersing (University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands) is thanked for his assistance with the spectroelectrochemical experiments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Organic Chemistry and Catalysis, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Layo van het Goor, Carola Koper & Leonardus W. Jenneskens

  2. Theoretical Chemistry, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Piet Th. van Duijnen & Remco W. A. Havenith

  3. Department of Chemistry, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AD, UK

    František Hartl

Authors
  1. Layo van het Goor
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  2. Piet Th. van Duijnen
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  3. Carola Koper
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  4. Leonardus W. Jenneskens
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  5. Remco W. A. Havenith
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  6. František Hartl
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Correspondence to Leonardus W. Jenneskens, Remco W. A. Havenith or František Hartl.

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This article is dedicated to Prof. Fritz Pragst on the occasion of his 70th birthday.

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van het Goor, L., van Duijnen, P.T., Koper, C. et al. π-dimerization of pleiadiene radical cations at low temperatures revealed by UV–vis spectroelectrochemistry and quantum theory. J Solid State Electrochem 15, 2107–2117 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-011-1532-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-011-1532-3

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