The redox potentials of bis(fulvalene)dinickel, 1, and the tetrakis(ferrocenyl)nickel dithiolene complex 2 have been measured in a variety of nonaqueous electrolytes. The difference in E1/2 values of the two successive one-electron oxidations of 1 (i.e., DeltaE1/2 values) increased from a low of 212 mV in anisole/[NBu4]Cl to a high of 850 mV in CH2Cl2-Na[B(C6H3(CF3)2)4], reflecting an increase of over 1010 in the comproportionation constant (Kcomp = [1+]2/[1][12+]). Six reversible one-electron processes are possible for compound 2, the four oxidations arising from the ferrocenyl substituents, and the two reductions arising from the Ni dithiolene moiety. The E1/2 spreads of the four oxidation waves and the two reduction waves are both highly sensitive to medium effects. For both 1 and 2, the largest DeltaE1/2 values for cationic products are found in solvents of low polarity and donor strength containing electrolyte salts having large anions and small cations. Conversely, the smallest DeltaE1/2 values for anionic products are found under these conditions, culminating in the observation of a single two-electron reduction wave for 2/22- in CH2Cl2-Na[B(C6H3(CF3)2)4]. A combination of solvation and ion-pairing effects must be considered, and may be used to advantage, when using DeltaE1/2 values as a measure of electronic interactions between redox centers in compounds containing two or more electron-transfer sites.
The electrochemical oxidations of (C6H6)Cr(CO)3, 1, and (C5H5)Co(CO)2, 2, when carried out in CH2Cl2/[NBu4][B(C6F5)4], allow the physical or chemical characterization of the 17-electron cations 1+ and 2+ at room temperature. The generation of 1+ on a synthetic time scale permits an electrochemical "switch" process involving facile substitution of CO by PPh3 as a route to (C6H6)Cr(CO)2PPh3. The radical 2+ undergoes a second-order reaction to give a product assigned as the metal-metal bonded dimer dication [Cp2Co2(CO)4]2+. The new anodic chemistry of these often-studied 18-electron compounds is made possible by increases in the solubility and thermal stability of the cation radicals in media containing the poorly nucleophilic anion [B(C6F5)4]-, TFAB.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.