“…The tranquilizing drug, chlorpromazine (Figure a), and its derivatives are often used as one-electron mediators in electrochemistry, as well as in the treatment of schizophrenia; its biological activity is thought to derive from its facile oxidation and photo-oxidation to a stable cation radical − and its flexibility: − in the solid state and in solution, the neutral molecule folds about the N–S axis with the central six-ring in a boat confirmation (“butterfly”-shaped, dihedral angle of 139–153°, Figure a), with rapid molecular motions that include those associated with the side chain, pyramidal inversion at nitrogen and ring inversion, even at low temperatures . Oxidation to the cation radical flattens the ring system through relaxing steric repulsions and readjusting the side chain, so that the dihedral angle opens up to 170–180°. − In contrast, further oxidation to the dication followed by hydrolysis with water yields the corresponding sulfoxide, which is thought to exist with the central six-ring in the boat conformation, at least in the solid state .…”