Properties of electrochemically generated primary cationradicals of phenyl- and 2-(4-tolyl)-1,3,4,7-tetramethylisoindoles

The first step of electrochemical oxidation of 2-phenyl- and 2-(4-tolyl)-1,3,4,7-tetramethylisoindoles in anhydrous acetonitrile produces relatively stable cationradicals which have been studied by means of EPR spectroscopy using the method of internal electrochemical generation of radicals under reduced temperature. The same electrochemical behaviour of the both studied derivatives and identical EPR spectra of their cationradicals can be explained within the Huckel MO method. The largest contribution to the magnitude of splitting constant of nitrogen nucleus is due to π-σ-spin polarization of C-N bonds caused by high spin abundance of pz-AO of carbon atoms. Half-life of decomposition of the studied cationradicals is 4 min at -30°C.