Resonance Balance Shift in Stacks of Delocalized Singlet Biradicals

Abstract

Recently we succeeded in the isolation of delocalized singlet biradicals utilizing the spin-delocalizing character of the phenalenyl radical. We demonstrated that the singlet biradical 1 has strong spin–spin interactions between molecules through the overlap of phenalenyl rings in the onedimensional (1D) chain even though the closed-shell Kekul structure 1 can be drawn as a resonance contributor (Scheme 1). Huang and Kertesz gave further insight into the spin–spin interactions from a theroretical point of view and showed that the spin–spin interaction between the molecules was predicted to be stronger than that within the molecule. These experimental and theoretical findings are associated with very fundamental issues: Do delocalized singlet biradicals actually have open-shell character? Are the electrons coupled within a molecule involved in covalent bonding between molecules? In this study we will demonstrate that intraand intermolecular spin–spin interactions strongly correlate and can be altered in magnitude by an applied external field. Our proposal is based on the experimentally determined molecular structure of 2, a temperature-dependent reflection spectrum of 2, and a pressuredependent reflection spectrum of 1. Methyl groups at the 2and 10-positions in 2, where the frontier molecular orbital has very small coefficients, are expected to alter the distance between the overlapping phenalenyl rings with respect to the analogous separation in 1, and as a result, the magnitude of the intermolecular spin–spin interaction should be affected. The synthesis of 2 is outlined in Scheme 2. The 3,10and 3,11-bis(bromomethyl) compounds 3 were synthesized according to the previously reported procedures. The individual isomers were not isolated because both were expected to lead to the single compound 2. Bis(2-methylpropionic acid) derivatives 5 were obtained in three steps by standard methods. Friedel–Crafts cyclization of the acyl chloride derivatives of 5 with AlCl3 afforded diketones 6. These were reduced with NaBH4 and subsequently dehydrated with a catalytic amount of p-toluenesulfonic acid to afford the dihydro compounds 8. Dehydrogenation of 8 with p-chloranil afforded the hydrocarbon 2 as green prisms. Compound 2 was found to be stable in the solid state at room temperature. The small HOMO–LUMO gap of 2, which is an essential factor for a singlet biradical electronic structure, was confirmed by electrochemical and optical methods. The cyclic voltammogram of 2 shows four reversible redox waves: E 2 = + 0.51, E 1 =+ 0.11, E red 1 = 1.09, and E 2 = 1.62 (V vs. ferrocene/ferrocenium couple (Fc/Fc), see Figure S1 in the Supporting Information), which led to an electrochemical HOMO–LUMO gap of 1.20 eV. The electronic absorption spectrum of 2 in CH2Cl2 shows an intense low-energy band at 756 nm (13200 cm = 1.64 eV, e= 115000, f= 0.605, see Scheme 1. Resonance structures of 1 and 2. The arrows in the biradical structure represent antiparallel spins.