Radical-anion intermediates. Part VII. Reactions of the 1,2,3,4-tetraphenylcyclopenta-1,3-diene radical anion

Abstract

1,2,3,4-Tetraphenylcyclopenta-1,3-diene in tetrahydrofuran reacts with alkali metals at 203 K to form a radical anion. At higher temperatures the radical anion is unstable and decays to give the corresponding anion. The rate of the decay is sensitive to the nature of the counterion. The e.s.r. spectrum of the radical anion has been obtained and is dominated by a large (1:2:1) triplet splitting of 2.53 mT.