Formation of mono-, bi-, and polyradicals upon reduction of poly(arylenesulfophthalides) by metallic lithium

The reduction of poly(biphenylenesulfophthalide) (1), poly(fluorenylenesulfophthalide) (2), and poly(terphenylenesulfophthatide) (3) by metallic lithium in DMSO was studied using UV-visible and ESR spectroscopies. The reduction of compounds 1 and 2 affords blue diamagnetic color centers with absorption bands at 568 and 350 nm (shoulder) for 1 and at 576 and 360 nm (shoulder) for 2. The color centers were attributed to quinoid structures of the Chichibabin's hydrocarbon type, being biradicals in the ground singlet state. The spectra of compounds 1 and 2 also exhibit weak absorption bands at -420 nm, which are assigned to monoradicals of the triarylmethyl type. The reduction of compound 3, for which the formation of quinoid structures is energetically unfavorable, leads to polyradicals of the triarylmethyl type with a high content (similar to100%) of unpaired electrons in the main polymer chain. These radicals are characterized by absorption bands at 430 urn (allowed transition) and 638 nm (forbidden transition). The paramagnetic centers in all polymers under study give singlet lines with g = 2.0028 and DeltaHsimilar to10 Oe in the ESR spectra. The color centers and radicals of the triarylmethyl type observed for the poly(arylenesulfophthalides.) under study are assumed to be formed upon the dissociative electron transfer from lithium to the sulfophthalide cycles of the polymeric molecules. The PM3 calculations show a high electron affinity of the sulfophthalide cycle and a higher propensity of the fluorenyl bridge to form quinoid structures than that of the biphenyl bridge.