π-dimerization of pleiadiene radical cations at low temperatures revealed by UV–vis spectroelectrochemistry and quantum theory

Abstract

One-electron oxidation of the non-alternant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pleiadiene and related cyclohepta[c,d]pyrene and cyclohepta[c,d]fluoranthene in THF produces corresponding radical cations detectable in the temperature range of 293–263 K only on the subsecond time scale of cyclic voltammetry. Although the EPR-active red-coloured pleiadiene radical cation is stable according to the literature in concentrated sulfuric acid, spectroelectrochemical measurements reported in this study provide convincing evidence for its facile conversion into the green-coloured, formally closed shell and, hence, EPR-silent π-bound dimer dication stable in THF at 253 K. The unexpected formation of the thermally unstable dimeric product featuring a characteristic intense low-energy absorption band at 673 nm (1.84 eV; logemax = 4.0) is substantiated by ab initio calculations on the parent pleiadiene molecule and the PF6− salts of the corresponding radical cation and dimer dication. The latter is stabilized with respect to the radical cation by 14.40 kcal mol−1 (DFT B3LYP) [37.64 kcal mol−1 (CASPT2/DFT B3LYP)]. An excellent match has been obtained between the experimental and TD-DFT-calculated UV–vis spectra of the PF6− salt of the pleiadiene dimer dication, considering solvent (THF) effects.