The electrochemical oxidation of hydrocarbons proceeds via the radical cation the carbon-hydrogen bonds of which are considerably acid. Generally, the deprotonation of such radical cations plays an important role [1]. In contrast to the cycloheptatriene/tropylium couple [2], redox systems, which can serve as heterocyclic coenzyme analogues such as the acridan/acridinium couple and dihydropyridine/pyridinium systems were intensively studied [3]. The electrochemical generation of aryltropylium ions from arylcycloheptatrienes is of special interest because various molecular properties such as shape, colour and electron acceptor strength differ strongly from those of tropylium cations. Accordingly, the properties of macrocycles [4] and supramolecular systems such as rotaxanes and catenanes containing cycloheptatriene building blocks [5] are expected to undergo significant changes in response to the loss of electrons.As part of our research program concerning the photochemical generation of tropylium cations [6] the electrochemical oxidation was carried out to learn about the behaviour of radical cations produced in the absence of any electron acceptor. For this purpose experiments with cycloheptatrienes 1, 2 and 3 containing aryl substituents of different donor strength and 1,3,5-cycloheptatriene 1a and the methoxy substituted derivative 1b were performed. The compounds 1f -1i were only used to evaluate the influence of the substituents on the oxidation peak potentials (see Fig. 1).Compounds 1d -3d differ from the other cycloheptatrienes studied in their basic properties. This may be meaningful regarding the deprotonation of the related radical cations. Keywords: Electrochemistry, Cyclic Voltammetry, Oxidation, Cycloheptatrienes, Tropylium salts Abstract. The electrochemical oxidation of various substituted aryl cycloheptatrienes and cyclohepta-1,3,5-triene, the parent compound, in acetonitrile is investigated with the aid of cyclic voltammetry (CV), experiments at the rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) and controlled potential electrolysis.
Electrochemical Oxidation of Aryl