Stable Olympicenyl Radicals and Their π-Dimers

Abstract

An olympicenyl radical, a spin 1/2 hydrocarbon radical with <i>C</i>_2<i>v</i> symmetry and uneven spin distribution, remains elusive despite the considerable theoretical research interest. Herein, we report syntheses of two air-stable olympicenyl radical derivatives, <b>OR1</b> and <b>OR2</b>, with half-life times (τ_1/2) in air-saturated solution of 7 days and 34 days. The high stability was ascribed to kinetic blocking of reactive sites with high spin densities. X-ray crystallographic analysis revealed unique 20-center-2-electron head-to-tail π-dimer structures with intermolecular distances shorter than the sum of van der Waals radius of carbon. The ground state of the π-dimers was found to be singlet, with singlet-triplet energy gaps estimated to be -2.34 kcal/mol and -3.28 kcal/mol for <b>OR1</b> and <b>OR2</b>, respectively, by variable-temperature electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. The monomeric radical species were in equilibrium with the π-dimer in solution, and the optical and electrochemical properties of the monomers and π-dimers in solution were investigated by UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry, revealing a concentration-dependent nature. Theoretical calculations illustrated that upon formation of a π-dimer the local aromaticity of each monomer was enhanced, and spatial ring current between the monomers was present, which resulted in an increment of aromaticity of the interior of the π-dimer.