Radical-anion intermediates. Part III. Radical anions of some ring-substituted fluorenes

Abstract

A large number of ring-substituted fluorenes react with lithium at –70 °C to give radical anions. At higher temperatures these radical anions are unstable and decay to give the corresponding anions. The nature of the substituent markedly affects the rate of the decay which was found to be either of the first or second order depending on the nature of the substituent. A small number of the substituted fluorenes studied reacted at –70 °C to give both e.s.r. and optical absorption spectra identical with that of the fluorene radical anion.