Determination of mechanism of cation exchange in semiquinone ion pairs from e.s.r. spectra

Abstract

The effect of added sodium iodide on the e.s.r. spectra of sodium 9,10-anthrasemiquinone ion pairs in DME and sodium 2,5-ditert. butyl p-benzosemiquinone ion pairs in THF has been examined. Of the two alternative mechanisms suggested by Adams and Atherton for the cation exchange process, it has been found that the sodium ion (or sodium iodide ion pair) attacks the vacant cation site on the semiquinone (i.e., the uncomplexed oxygen atom) which is the mechanism these authors found for sodium m-dinitrobenzenes.