The isolation, characterisation, gas phase electron diffraction and crystal structure of the thermally stable radical [CF3CSNSCCF3]˙

Abstract

The first structural characterisation of a heterocyclic free radical in all phases has been achieved. 4,5-Bis(trifluoromethyl)-1,3,2-dithiazol-2-yl, [CF₃CSNSCCF₃]˙ 4d, a 7π radical, was prepared quantitatively on reduction of [4d][AsF₆] with various reducing agents. It is a blue gas over a green paramagnetic liquid [¹⁹F NMR δ −59.7], which freezes to a diamagnetic black-green solid. There is a remarkably large volume increase on melting implying that the liquid consists of discrete monomeric radicals, and consistently there is no tendency to dimerise in CCl₃F solution and the vibrational spectra attributable to the monomer are essentially identical in all phases. The thermodynamic properties obtained for the vapourisation, sublimation and melting processes are very similar to those of related diamagnetic materials. 4d is remarkably thermochemically robust giving decomposition products identical to those from photochemical decomposition, a quantitative mixture of CF₃CSSCCF₃ (and its oligomers) and CF₃CNSNCCF₃. The reaction chemistry is described. The crystal structure shows radical 4d to be a planar heterocyclic ring which associates in the solid as a diamagnetic tetramer. The structure of the gaseous monomer determined by electron diffraction is very similar to that in the solid phase. Comprehensive physical measurements were made including the UV-visible spectra of the bright blue solutions, variable temperature magnetic susceptibility and quantitative variable temperature ESR spectra both of which confirm a phase change from a diamagnetic solid to a paramagnetic liquid on melting, the vibrational spectra, and the photoelectron spectrum of the gaseous free radical. A study of the behavior of RCSNSCR˙ (R = H, CH₃ or CF₃) given by the reduction of RCSNSCR⁺ on increase of concentrations of radical is reported, including the isolation of HCSNSCCF₃˙ at low temperature. The experimental and calculated [UMPW1PW91/6-31+G*] structures of 4d are in good agreement. These and related calculations also support the interpretation of the vibrational and photoelectron spectra, and the thermodynamic properties of 4d, as well as provide possible explanations for the relative stabilities of RCSNSCR˙, and imply that the weak intramolecular interactions in 4d in the solid state are largely ionic S^δ+⋯N^δ− interactions.