Konformation sterisch gehinderter Anilin-Kationradikale und Benzyl-Kationen/On the Conformation of Sterically Hindered Aniline Cation Radicals and Benzyl Cations

• Published in: Zeitschrift für Naturforschung. B, A journal of chemical sciences Vol. 34; no. 9; pp. 1339 - 1340
• Main Authors: Woynar, Helmut, Schäfer, Hartmut, Berndt, Armin, Thiel, Walter, Schweig, Armin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Verlag der Zeitschrift für Naturforschung 01.09.1979
• Subjects: Benzyl Cations; Sterically Hindered Aniline Cation Radicals
• ISSN: 0932-0776; 1865-7117
• DOI: 10.1515/znb-1979-0937

A series of aniline cation radicals have been generated in a flow apparatus, and their ESR spectra have been recorded and interpreted. The data show that the NR substituents are less twisted in these systems than the CR substituents in the isoelectronic but sterically less hindered benzyl radicals, in accordance with MNDO calculations. The conformations of these systems are strongly influenced by electronic π-resonance effects which limit the usefulness of steric models for structural predictions. The results suggest that the CR substituent in the benzyl cations is less twisted than in the corresponding radicals. An ESR measurement of these radicals should therefore provide an upper limit to the twist angle in the cations, which is difficult to determine otherwise by experiment.