Variation from closed-shell to open shell electronic structures in oligothiophene bis(dioxolene) complexes

A series of oligothiophene bis(dioxolene) complexes, SQ-Thn-SQ (SQ = S = ½TpCum,MeZnII(3-tert-butyl-orthosemiquinonate); TpCum,Me = tris(5-cumenyl-3-methylpyrazolyl)borate anion) have been synthesized, structurally characterized, and studied as a function of the number of thiophene bridging units, n (n = 0-3) using a combination of variable-temperature (VT) electronic absorption and EPR spectroscopies, and VT magnetic susceptibility measurements. The thiophene bridge bond lengths determined by X-ray crystallography display dramatic differences across the SQ-Thn-SQ series. Bridge bond deviation values (Σ|Δi|) display a progressive change in the nature of the bridge fragment bonding as the number of thiophene groups increases, with quinoidal bridge character for n = 1 (SQ-Th-SQ) and biradical character with "aromatic" bridge bond lengths for n = 3 (SQ-Th3-SQ). Remarkably, for n = 2 (SQ-Th2-SQ) the nature of the bridge fragment is intermediate between quinoid and biradical aromatic, which we describe as having open-shell character as opposed to biradicaloid since the open-shell biradical configuration does not have the correct symmetry to mix with the quinoidal ground-state configuration. This bridge bonding character is reflected in the energies of the lowest lying open-shell states for these three molecules. The SQ-Th-SQ molecule is diamagnetic at all temperatures studied, and we provide evidence for SQ-SQ antiferromagnetic exchange coupling and population of triplet states in SQ-Th2-SQ and SQ-Th3-SQ, with JSQ-SQ(ave) = -279 cm-1 (VT EPR/electronic absorption/magnetic susceptibility) and JSQ-SQ = -117 cm-1 (VT EPR/electronic absorption/magnetic susceptibility), respectively. The results have been interpreted in the context of state configurational mixing within a simplified 4-electron, 3-orbital model that explicitly contains contributions of a bridge fragment. Variable-temperature spectroscopic- and magnetic susceptibility data are consistent with two low-lying open-shell states for SQ-Th3-SQ, but three low-lying states (one closed-shell and two open-shell) for SQ-Th2-SQ. This model provides a simple symmetry-based framework to understand the continuum of electronic and geometric structures of this class of molecules as a function of the number of thiophene units in the bridge.

Cyclobis(7,8-(para-quinodimethane)-4,4'-triphenylamine) and Its Cationic Species Showing Annulene-Like Global (Anti)Aromaticity

π-Conjugated macrocycles containing all-benzenoid rings usually show local aromaticity, but reported herein is the macrocycle CBQT, containing alternating para-quinodimethane and triphenylamine units displaying annulene-like anti-aromaticity at low temperatures as a result of structural rigidity and participation of the bridging nitrogen atoms in π-conjugation. It was easily synthesized by intermolecular Friedel-Crafts alkylation followed by oxidative dehydrogenation. X-ray crystallographic structures of CBQT, as well as those of its dication, trication, and tetracation were obtained. The dication and tetracation exhibited global aromaticity and antiaromaticity, respectively, as confirmed by NMR measurements and theoretical calculations. Both the dication and tetracation possess open-shell singlet ground states, with a small singlet-triplet gap.

Modulation of Open-shell Characters of Amine-inserted Diphenoquinones via Structural Modification

In this study, a series of triphenylamine derivatives with two 2,6-diphenylphenoxy radicals (2 a-d), which could be regarded as amine-inserted diphenoquinones have been synthesized and investigated their structures and electronic properties. The structures of 2 a-d were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray analysis, showing the characteristic bond length alternation patterns for closed-shell quinoids. The solutions of 2 a-d exhibited clear ESR signals even at room temperature, indicating their thermally accessible diradical states. The NMR and ESR measurements showed that the diradical character of 2 a-d were increased in the order of 2 a<2 b<2 c<2 d, well-reproduced by theoretical calculations. The results of this work strongly suggest that the diradical character of this class of compounds could be tuned by changing the substituent on the central nitrogen atom.

Experimental and Theoretical Examination of the Radical Cations Obtained from the Chemical and Electrochemical Oxidation of 5-Aminothiazoles

Chemical or electrochemical one-electron oxidation of 5-N-arylaminothiazoles was found to afford stable radical cations. For chemical oxidation, 1 equivalent of [(4-BrC6H4)3N][SbCl6] (Magic Blue, MB) was added to CH2Cl2 solutions of the thiazoles, and the thus-obtained radicals showed light absorption in the near-infrared region. Electrochemical oxidation also led to bathochromic shifts in the absorption bands, and the obtained spectra were similar to those derived from the chemically oxidized species. These radicals afforded electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra that are consistent with the notion of stable nitrogen radicals (half-life≤385 h). The EPR spectrum of a thiazole containing 4-dimethylaminophenyl groups on the nitrogen atom at the 5-position changed significantly upon adding >3 equivalents of MB. Details of the electronic structures of the experimentally obtained radical cations were generated from theoretical calculations.