摘要:
A number of methyl-substituted tetraarylethanediols 1 have been found to undergo facile electron transfer (et) to tris(1,10-phenanthroline)iron(III) complexes (Fe(III)L3). The products of this reaction are the corresponding benzophenones when an appropriate base is added to the reaction solution. The electron-transfer rate constants (k(et)) for the reaction of 1 and Fe(III)L3 have been measured as a function of temperature and are higher than anticipated, based on the energetic predictions derived from model arenes. The oxidation potential, derived from the measured DELTA-G(et)*, is in good agreement with the solution-phase DELTA-G(et)-degrees, which can be calculated from the gas-phase ionization potential. Control experiments demonstrate that the reaction proceeds through a normal outer-sphere electron-transfer reaction. The surprisingly low oxidation potentials can only be explained by through-space phenyl-phenyl interactions.