Graphene, a two-dimensional layer of sp(2)-hybridized carbon atoms, can be viewed as a sheet of benzene rings fused together. Three benzene rings can be combined in three different ways, to yield linear anthracene and angular phenanthrene, where the rings share two C-C bonds, and the phenalenyl structure where three C-C bonds are shared between the rings. This third structure contains an uneven number of carbon atoms and, hence, in its neutral state, an uneven number of electrons--that is, it is a radical. All three structures may be viewed as being sections of graphene. Extension of this concept leads to an entire family of phenalenyl derivatives--'open-shell graphene fragments'--that are of substantial interest from the standpoint of fundamental science as well as in view of their potential applications in materials chemistry, in particular quantum electronic devices. Here we discuss current trends and challenges in this field.

Synthetic organic spin chemistry for structurally well-defined open-shell graphene fragments

Aromaticity is an important concept to understand the stability and physical properties of π-conjugated molecules. Recent studies on pro-aromatic and anti-aromatic molecules revealed their irresistible tendency to become diradicals in the ground state. Diradical character thus becomes another very important concept and it is fundamentally correlated to the physical (optical, electronic and magnetic) properties and chemical reactivity of most of the organic optoelectronic materials. Molecules with distinctive diradical character show unique properties which are very different from those of traditional closed-shell π-conjugated systems, and thus they have many potential applications in organic electronics, spintronics, non-linear optics and energy storage. This critical review first introduces the fundamental electronic structure of Kekule diradicals within the concepts of anti-aromaticity and pro-aromaticity in the context of Huckel aromaticity and diradical character. Then recent research studies on various stable/persistent diradicaloids based on pro-aromatic and anti-aromatic compounds are summarized and discussed with regard to their synthetic chemistry, physical properties, structure-property relationships and potential material applications. A summary and personal perspective is given at the end.

Pro-aromatic and anti-aromatic π-conjugated molecules: an irresistible wish to be diradicals

Many kinds of radicals are stable enough to isolate, handle, and store without any special precautions. The diversity in molecular architectures of these stable radicals is sufficiently large that the common factors governing radical stability/persistence, geometric and electronic structure, association/dimerization preferences, and reactivity have generally not been well articulated or appreciated. This review provides a survey of the major classes of stable or persistent organic/organomain group radicals with a view to presenting a unified description of the interdependencies between radical molecular structure and properties.

What's new in stable radical chemistry?

Selective photocatalytic oxygenation of various substrates has been achieved using organic photocatalysts via photoinduced electron-transfer reactions of photocatalysts with substrates and dioxygen under visible light irradiation. Photoinduced electron transfer from benzene to the singlet-excited state of the 3-cyano-1-methylquinolinium ion has enabled the oxidation of benzene by dioxygen with water to yield phenol selectively. Alkoxybenzenes were obtained when water was replaced by alcohols under otherwise the same experimental conditions. Photocatalytic selective oxygenation reactions of aromatic compounds have also been achieved using an electron donor–acceptor linked dyad, 9-mesityl-10-methylacridinium ion (Acr+–Mes) acting as a photocatalyst and dioxygen as an oxidant under visible light irradiation. The oxygenation reaction is initiated by intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer from the mesitylene moiety to the singlet-excited state of the acridinium moiety of Acr+–Mes to afford an extremely long-lived electron-transfer state. The electron-transfer state can oxidize and reduce substrates and dioxygen, respectively, leading to selective oxygenation and halogenation of substrates. C–C bond formation of substrates has also been made possible by using Acr+–Mes as a photocatalyst.

Selective photocatalytic reactions with organic photocatalysts

Synthesis, intermolecular interaction, and semiconductive behavior of a delocalized singlet biradical hydrocarbon.

The high symmetry and stability of phenalenyl systems, both as the planar π-radical (P•) and as the π-cation (P+), are desirable characteristics of prototypical aromatic donor/acceptor pairs that encourage their use as (binary) models for the study of intermolecular interactions extant in stacked molecular arrays. Thus, quantitative ESR spectroscopy of the paramagnetic P• identifies its spontaneous self-association to the diamagnetic P2, previously characterized as the stacked π-dimer by X-ray crystallography. Likewise, the rapid cross-association of P• with the closed-shell P+ leads to the stacked π-dimer cation P2•+ with the “doubled” ESR spectrum diagnostic of complete (odd) electron delocalization. These π-associations are confirmed by UV−vis studies that reveal diagnostic near-IR bands of both P2 and P2•+strongly reminiscent of intermolecular charge-transfer absorptions in related aromatic (donor/acceptor) π-associations. Ab initio molecular-orbital calculations for the π-dimer P2 predict a binding e...

Intermolecular pi-to-pi bonding between stacked aromatic dyads. Experimental and theoretical binding energies and near-IR optical transitions for phenalenyl radical/radical versus radical/cation dimerizations.

JK Kochi

Papers

Intermolecular pi-to-pi bonding between stacked aromatic dyads. Experimental and theoretical binding energies and near-IR optical transitions for phenalenyl radical/radical versus radical/cation dimerizations.