摘要:
Only one pair of reversible waves involving a net four-electron transfer has been observed in the redox process of pentakis(1,3-benzodithiol-2-ylidene)cyclopentane (1a), a potent electron-donating molecule. This is the first case of a single-wave four-electron transfer with only one macroscopic redox site in organic redox systems. Normal explicit difference digital simulation analysis assuming Nemstian response has been carried out to elucidate the detailed redox process of la. Our studies have shown that la mainly follows a two-step two-electron transfer and is converted to the tetracation (1a4+) via the dication (1a2+). The estimated redox potentials for the 1a/1a2+ and 1a2+/1a4+ couples are 0.394 +/- 0.003 and 0.386 +/- 0.003 V vs SCE, respectively. Thus three electrons are transferred at virtually no cost in energy after the first electron is transferred. The C-13 NMR study has revealed that 1a4+ has a unique electronic structure of cyclopentadienide substituted with five 1,3-dithiolylium groups. Two factors play important roles in the unusual multiple electron transfer with enhanced interaction: (1) preferential twist of all five 1,3-dithiolylium moieties from the central five-membered ring so as to decrease the intramolecular Coulomb repulsion and steric hindrance; (2) the aromatic stabilization arising from the contribution of the cyclopentadienide structure in 1a4+.