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Crystal structures of alkali salts of tetrahaolgenosemiquinone anion radical acetone solvates and their solvent-free salts are determined. p-Semiquinone anion radical reveals enhanced aromaticity of the ring compared to the quinone. A pair of p-stacked radical anion (psemiquinone) rings occurs in crystal structures of potassium and rubidium salts of tetrachlorosemiquinone anion acetone solvates and their potassium tetrabromo analogue. The ring centroid separation distances are about 3.2 Å and carbon-carbon contacts between the contiguous rings are 0.3 Å shorter than the sum of van der Waals radii. The spin-coupling of the two unpaired electrons between the two anion radical rings (forming a stacked dimer) correlates with the diamagnetic property of the crystals. Magnetic properties of alkali salts of tetrahaolgenosemiquinone anion radical acetone solvates were examined by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. IntroductionQuinones and semiquinone radicals undergo easily reversible oxidation-reduction reactions and they are excellent electron carriers. Due to influence of the functional groups, quinones may have various values of the standard redox potential. The oxidation potential of the quinones with electron-donating groups such as -OH, is lower, and with electronwithdrawing groups such as -Cl and -NO2, the potential becomes higher. These unique electron properties of quinones are exploited for syntheses, both, in laboratory and by nature in vivo. 1,2 Substituents on the quinoid ring modify electron density affecting oxidation potential and stability of the semiquinone radical (Scheme 1). Perhalogenated benzoquinones are easily reduced and their radicals are rather stable; four electronegative substituents make electron density in the ring significantly lower. Sodium and potassium salts of tetrachlorosemiquinone anion radical were first prepared in 1912 by Torrey and Hunter 3 by reaction of alkali iodide and tetrachloroquinone in acetone. Green salts with formulae NaC 6 C l4 O 2 and KC 6 C l4 O 2 precipitated from cold acetone but quickly decomposed upon heating. During the last fifty years perhalogenosemiquinones were studied by various techniques: EPR, 4-6 UV/Vis 7 and IR/Raman spectroscopy [8][9][10][11] and computational methods. [12][13][14][15] Several charge-transfer systems involving tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone (Cl4Q) [16][17][18][19][20] and tetrabromo-1,4-benzoquinone (Br4Q), 21,22 where radical anions can be stabilised under appropriate conditions, have also been designed. A crystallographic study of tetrachlorosemiquinone radical anion-in its well-known potassium salt3-was attempted in a Rudjer Bo_skovi_c Institute, Bijeni_cka 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia. E-mail: kmolcano@irb.hr Molčanov, K., , "Stabilisation of tetrabromo-and tetrachlorosemiquinone (bromanil and chloranil) anion radicals in crystals", CrystEngComm, Vol.13, No.16, 1973 23 using a film method (Weissenberg camera). However, due to an extremely weak diffraction of poor crystals the authors could only determine unit cells of...

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Two salts of tetrachloro-(chloranil, Cl 4 Q) and tetrabromosemiquinone (bromanil, Br 4 Q) radical anions with an organic cation Nmethylpyridinium (N-MePy), displaying a variety of tunable electrical and magnetic properties, are characterized. These systems comprise π-stacks of equidistant semiquinone radical anions, without Peierls deformation and diamagnetic spin coupling. Both are stable up to 150 and 120 °C in air, respectively, and are semiconductors with conductivities of 10 −6 −10 −7 (Ω cm) −1 in the single crystals. The room-temperature concomitant crystallization of two polymorphs with different magnetic properties (antiferromagnetic and Peierls-distorted diamagnetic) has been observed for Cl 4 Q•N-MePy. The semiquinone radical organic salts represent a novel class of potential (multi)functional materials with tunable properties.

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