The Role of H-Bonding in Non-Concerted Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer: Explaining the Voltammetry of Phenylenediamines in the Presence of Weak Bases in Acetonitrile

Abstract

The kinetics of many proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions cannot be adequately described by step-wise proton and electron transfer. Concerted electron-proton transfer (CPET) is another possibility, but examples exist where step-wise mechanisms are not viable yet there is no compelling evidence for CPET. This study investigates such a reaction, the oxidation of an NH-containing phenylenediamine radical cation, H2PD+, in the presence of pyridines in acetonitrile. H2PD+ is formed by a net one electron oxidation of 2,3,5,6-tetramethylphenylenediamine in acetonitrile via a rather complicated mechanism that likely proceeds through a H-bonded dimer. Once formed, it can be further oxidized at more positive potentials to the quinoidal dication, H2PD2+, which will be considerably more acidic than the radical cation. Indeed, the E1/2 for the radical oxidation jumps to a considerably more negative potential upon addition of 1 equivalent of the weak base pyridine. The CV wave broadens but stays chemically reversible. Further addition of pyridine leads to smaller E1/2 shifts with continued reversibility. This behavior could possibly be explained by stabilization of H2PD2+ through H-bonding or proton transfer to pyridine, however, UV-vis spectroelectrochemical experiments provide definitive evidence for proton transfer. Furthermore, CV studies with 4-substituted pyridine derivatives of weaker basicity show that the observed E1/2 with 1 equivalent of the pyridine depends in a Nernstian fashion on the pKa of the conjugate acid of the pyridine, indicating that all the pyridines studied deprotonate H2PD2+ to give the quinoidal cation, HPD+. The continued E1/2 shift observed upon further addition of the pyridines can then be completely explained by application of the Nernst equation to the overall reaction H2PD+ + pyr → HPD+ + Hpyr+ + e−. However, while this explains the thermodynamics, the classic step-wise proton-electron transfer mechanism for this reaction cannot explain the observed reversibility at high base concentration. In contrast, the reversibility can be explained by a “wedge” scheme mechanism in which electron and proton transfer occur within the H-bond complex formed as an intermediate in proton transfer. In this case, the electron-proton transfer could be concerted, however, the kinetics for the second oxidation in the presence of pyridine show no significant isotope effect. Furthermore, a new reduction peak that appears at faster scan rates suggests the presence of an intermediate in the electron-proton transfer. Both results strongly suggest that the electron-proton transfer is step-wise, not concerted, within the H-bond complex. This result points to the important role H-bonding may play in PCET even without CPET.