Isolation of kinetically-stabilised diarylchalcogenide radical cations

Abstract Chalcogenide radical cations [R2E]•+ (E = S, Se, Te) are commonly short-lived intermediates of fundamental interest. Sulfide radical cations in particular are associated in vivo with oxidative stress and neuropathological processes. Having succeeded in the preparation of meta-terphenyl-base...

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Main Authors: Pascal Komorr, Corina Stoian, Aleksa Radović, Björn A. Meyer, Pim Puylaert, George E. Cutsail III, Emanuel Hupf, Jens Beckmann
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-08-01
Series:Communications Chemistry
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s42004-025-01613-z
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Summary:Abstract Chalcogenide radical cations [R2E]•+ (E = S, Se, Te) are commonly short-lived intermediates of fundamental interest. Sulfide radical cations in particular are associated in vivo with oxidative stress and neuropathological processes. Having succeeded in the preparation of meta-terphenyl-based dichalcogenide radical cations [R2E2]•+ (E = S, Se, Te), and a telluride analogue [R2Te]•+ in the past, we aimed to complete the series regarding sulfur and selenium. Here we report on the single-electron oxidation of diarylchalcogenides MSFluindPhE (E = S, Se, Te; MSFluind = dispiro[fluorene-9,3’-(1’,1’,7’,7’-tetramethyl-s-hydrindacen-4’-yl)-5’,9”-fluorene]) using XeF2 in the presence of K[B(C6F5)4], which afforded deeply coloured and isolable radical cation salts [MSFluindPhE][B(C6F5)4] (E = S, Se, Te). Structural and electronic properties were characterised by electron paramagnetic spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, optical absorption spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction (E = Se, Te), combined with extensive quantum mechanical computations.
ISSN:2399-3669