The D Parameter (EPR Zero-Field Splitting) of Localized 1,3-Cyclopentanediyl Triplet Diradicals as a Measure of Electronic Substituent Effects on the Spin Densities in Para-Substituted Benzyl-Type Radicals

Abstract

The zero-field splitting parameters D of the symmetrically disubstituted and unsymmetrically monosubstituted 1,3-diaryl-1,3-cyclopentanediyl triplet diradicals 1, 2 (X = p-MeO, p-Me, p-Cl, p-NH(2), p-CO(2)Me, p-CN, p-NO(2)), and 5 were determined in 2-methyltetrahydrofuran glass at 77 K. The linear plot (m = 0.558, r(2) = 0.993) of the experimental D values for the symmetrically disubstituted derivatives versus the corresponding monosubstituted ones reveals that the electronic substituent effects are additive and implies (except for the magnetic dipolar interaction) that each benzyl-type radical site acts independently in the localized diradicals. This additivity permits us to view these triplet diradicals as a composite of the two separate monoradical components and allows us to assess valuable electronic properties of benzyl-type monoradicals from the D parameter of the triplet diradical species. A theoretical analysis shows that the D parameter is a measure of the spin density rho at the benzylic positions and the inter-radical distance d in localized diradicals. A good correlation exists between the D parameter of these triplet diradicals (constant inter-radical distance d) and the EPR hyperfine coupling constants of the corresponding benzyl-type monoradicals, which establishes that the observed electronic substituent effects reflect changes in the spin densities at the radical sites. The novel DeltaD scale allows us to quantify spectroscopically the para substituent effect on the spin delocalization at the benzylic position.