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The monomeric iron(II) amido derivatives Fe{N(H)Ar*}(2) (1), Ar* = C(6)H(3)-2,6-(C(6)H(2)-2,4,6-Pr(i)(3))(2), and Fe{N(H)Ar(#)}(2) (2), Ar(#) = C(6)H(3)-2,6-(C(6)H(2)-2,4,6-Me(3))(2), were synthesized and studied in order to determine the effects of geometric changes on their unusual magnetic properties. The compounds, which are the first stable homoleptic primary amides of iron(II), were obtained by the transamination of Fe{N(SiMe(3))(2)}(2), with HN(SiMe(3))(2) elimination, by the primary amines H(2)NAr* or H(2)NAr(#). X-ray crystallography showed that they have either strictly linear (1) or bent (2, N-Fe-N = 140.9(2) degrees ) iron coordination. Variable temperature magnetization and applied magnetic field Mossbauer spectroscopy studies revealed a very large dependence of the magnetic properties on the metal coordination geometry. At ambient temperature, the linear 1 displayed an effective magnetic moment in the range 7.0-7.50 mu(B), consistent with essentially free ion magnetism. There is a very high internal orbital field component, H(L) approximately 170 T which is only exceeded by a H(L) approximately 203 T of Fe{C(SiMe(3))(3)}(2). In contrast, the strongly bent 2 displayed a significantly lower mu(eff) value in the range 5.25-5.80 mu(B) at ambient temperature and a much lower orbital field H(L) value of 116 T. The data for the two amido complexes demonstrate a very large quenching of the orbital magnetic moment upon bending the linear geometry. In addition, a strong correlation of H(L) with overall formal symmetry is confirmed. ESR spectroscopy supports the existence of large orbital magnetic moments in 1 and 2, and DFT calculations provide good agreement with the physical data.

The catalytic cycle of numerous enzymes involves the coupling between proton transfer and electron transfer. Yet, the understanding of this coordinated transfer in biological systems remains limited, likely because its characterization relies on the controlled but experimentally challenging modifications of the free energy changes associated with either the electron or proton transfer. We have performed such a study here in Photosystem II. The driving force for electron transfer from Tyr(Z) to P(680)(*+) has been decreased by approximately 80 meV by mutating the axial ligand of P(680), and that for proton transfer upon oxidation of Tyr(Z) by substituting a 3-fluorotyrosine (3F-Tyr(Z)) for Tyr(Z). In Mn-depleted Photosystem II, the dependence upon pH of the oxidation rates of Tyr(Z) and 3F-Tyr(Z) were found to be similar. However, in the pH range where the phenolic hydroxyl of Tyr(Z) is involved in a H-bond with a proton acceptor, the activation energy of the oxidation of 3F-Tyr(Z) is decreased by 110 meV, a value which correlates with the in vitro finding of a 90 meV stabilization energy to the phenolate form of 3F-Tyr when compared to Tyr (Seyedsayamdost et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128,1569-1579). Thus, when the phenol of Y(Z) acts as a H-bond donor, its oxidation by P(680)(*+) is controlled by its prior deprotonation. This contrasts with the situation prevailing at lower pH, where the proton acceptor is protonated and therefore unavailable, in which the oxidation-induced proton transfer from the phenolic hydroxyl of Tyr(Z) has been proposed to occur concertedly with the electron transfer to P(680)(*+). This suggests a switch between a concerted proton/electron transfer at pHs < 7.5 to a sequential one at pHs > 7.5 and illustrates the roles of the H-bond and of the likely salt-bridge existing between the phenolate and the nearby proton acceptor in determining the coupling between proton and electron transfer.

The synthesis and characterisation of two new Cu(ii)-hexanoate-azacrown ether species are described. The first monomeric complex is a "classical" macrocyclic Cu(ii) complex with two monodentate axially coordinated carboxylates serving as counterions. The second is an adduct of the former complex with the copper(ii) hexanoate paddlewheel dimer, Cu(2)(hexanoate)(4), forming an infinite 1-D chain of alternating monomer-dimer units. The electronic and magnetic properties of both species are discussed based on UV-vis, IR, X-ray and EPR studies combined with the DFT calculations. The UV-vis titration results prove that complex and the polymeric species are in equilibrium in toluene solution.

The cyanobacterial enzyme phycocyanobilin:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PcyA) catalyzes the two-step four-electron reduction of biliverdin IXalpha to phycocyanobilin, the precursor of biliprotein chromophores found in phycobilisomes. It is known that catalysis proceeds via paramagnetic radical intermediates, but the structure of these intermediates and the transfer pathways for the four protons involved are not known. In this study, high-field electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of frozen solutions and single crystals of the one-electron reduced protein-substrate complex of two PcyA mutants D105N from the cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 and Nostoc sp. PCC7120 are examined. Detailed analysis of Synechocystis D105N mutant spectra at 130 and 406 GHz reveals a biliverdin radical with a very narrow g tensor with principal values 2.00359(5), 2.00341(5), and 2.00218(5). Using density-functional theory (DFT) computations to explore the possible protonation states of the biliverdin radical, it is shown that this g tensor is consistent with a biliverdin radical where the carbonyl oxygen atoms on both the A and the D pyrrole rings are protonated. This experimentally confirms the reaction mechanism recently proposed (Tu, et al. Biochemistry 2007, 46, 1484).

Magnetic doping of semiconductor nanostructures is actively pursued for applications in magnetic memory and spin-based electronics. Central to these efforts is a drive to control the interaction strength between carriers (electrons and holes) and the embedded magnetic atoms. In this respect, colloidal nanocrystal heterostructures provide great flexibility through growth-controlled 'engineering' of electron and hole wavefunctions in individual nanocrystals. Here, we demonstrate a widely tunable magnetic sp-d exchange interaction between electron-hole excitations (excitons) and paramagnetic manganese ions using 'inverted' core-shell nanocrystals composed of Mn(2+)-doped ZnSe cores overcoated with undoped shells of narrower-gap CdSe. Magnetic circular dichroism studies reveal giant Zeeman spin splittings of the band-edge exciton that, surprisingly, are tunable in both magnitude and sign. Effective exciton g-factors are controllably tuned from -200 to +30 solely by increasing the CdSe shell thickness, demonstrating that strong quantum confinement and wavefunction engineering in heterostructured nanocrystal materials can be used to manipulate carrier-Mn(2+) wavefunction overlap and the sp-d exchange parameters themselves.

Dihydrogen reacts directly with a range of distannynes at ca. 25 degrees C under one atmosphere pressure to afford symmetric hydrogen bridged or unsymmetric stannylstannane products in high yield.

Reaction of 3,5-Pr(i)2Ar*Fe(eta6-C6H6)(3,5-Pr(i)2Ar* = C6H1-2,6-(C6H2)-2,4,6-Pr(i)3)(2)-3,5-Pr(i)2) with (N3C6H3)-2,6-Mes2 (Mes = (C6H2)-2,4,6-Me3) afforded the dimeric iron(II) amido/aryl complex {CH2C6H(2)-2(C6H3)-2-N(H)FeAr*-3,5-Pr(i)2)-3,5-Me2}2 (1) which arises via methyl hydrogen abstraction by nitrogen and dimerization of the radical via C-C bond formation; in contrast, reaction of 3,5-Pr(i)2Ar*Fe(eta6)-C6H6) with N3(1-Ad) (1-Ad = 1-adamantanyl) gave the iron(V) bis(imido) complex 3,5-Pr(i)2Ar*Fe{N(1-Ad)}2 (2).

Quantum mechanical calculations, using both CASPT2 and DFT methods, for the model systems (MeMMMe, PhMMPh, (MeMMMe)(C6H6)2, Ar(S)MMAr(S), Ar (#)MMAr(#); M = Cr, Fe, Co; Ar(S) = C6H4-2(C6H5), Ar(#) = C6H3-2,6(C6H3-2,6-Me2)2) are described. These studies were undertaken to provide a multireference description of the metal-metal bond in the simple dimers MeMMMe and PhMMPh (M = Cr, Fe, Co) and to determine the extent of secondary metal-arene interaction involving the flanking aryl rings of the terphenyl ligands in quintuply bonded Ar'CrCrAr' (Ar' = C6H3-2,6(C6H3-2,6-Pr(i)2)2). We show that in the Cr-Cr species the Cr-arene interaction is a feeble one that causes only a small weakening of the quintuple bond. In sharp contrast, in the analogous Fe and Co species strong eta(6)-arene interactions that preclude significant metal-metal bonding are predicted.

The effects of different terphenyl ligand substituents on the quintuple Cr-Cr bonding in arylchromium(I) dimers stabilized by bulky terphenyl ligands (Ar) were investigated. A series of complexes, ArCrCrAr (1-4; Ar = C6H2-2,6-(C6H3-2,6-iPr2)2-4-X, where X = H, SiMe3, OMe, and F), was synthesized and structurally characterized. Their X-ray crystal structures display similar trans-bent C(ipso)CrCrC(ipso) cores with short Cr-Cr distances that range from 1.8077(7) to 1.8351(4) A. There also weaker Cr-C interactions [2.294(1)-2.322(2) A] involving an C(ipso) of one of the flanking aryl rings. The data show that the changes induced in the Cr-Cr bond length by the different substituents X in the para positions of the central aryl ring of the terphenyl ligand are probably a result of packing rather than electronic effects. This is in agreement with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which predict that the model compounds (4-XC6H4)CrCr(C6H4-4-X) (X = H, SiMe3, OMe, and F) have similar geometries in the gas phase. Magnetic measurements in the temperature range of 2-300 K revealed temperature-independent paramagnetism in 1-4. UV-visible and NMR spectroscopic data indicated that the metal-metal-bonded solid-state structures of 1-4 are retained in solution. Reduction of (4-F3CAr')CrCl (4-F3CAr' = C6H2-2,6-(C6H3-2,6-iPr2)2-4-CF3) with KC8 gave non-Cr-Cr-bonded fluorine-bridged dimer {(4-F3CAr')Cr(mu-F)(THF)}2 (5) as a result of activation of the CF3 moiety. The monomeric, two-coordinate complexes [(3,5-iPr2Ar*)Cr(L)] (6, L = THF; 7, L = PMe3; 3,5-iPr2Ar* = C6H1-2,6-(C6H-2,4,6-iPr3)2-3,5-iPr2) were obtained with use of the larger 3,5-Pri2-Ar* ligand, which prevents Cr-Cr bond formation. Their structures contain almost linearly coordinated CrI atoms, with high-spin 3d5 configurations. The addition of toluene to a mixture of (3,5-iPr2Ar*)CrCl and KC8 gave the unusual dinuclear benzyl complex [(3,5-iPr2Ar*)Cr(eta3:eta6-CH2Ph)Cr(Ar*-1-H-3,5-iPr2)] (8), in which a C-H bond from a toluene methyl group was activated. The electronic structures of 5-8 have been analyzed with the aid of DFT calculations.

The synthesis and structural characterization of the first homologous, molecular M-M bonded series for the group 12 metals are reported. The compounds Ar'MMAr' (M = Zn, Cd, or Hg; Ar' = C(6)H(3)-2,6-(C(6)H(3)-2,6-Pr(i)(2))(2)) were synthesized by reduction of the corresponding arylmetal halides by alkali metal/graphite (Zn or Hg) or sodium hydride (Cd). These compounds possess almost linear C-M-M-C core structures with two-coordinate metals. The observed M-M bonds distances were 2.3591(9), 2.6257(5), and 2.5738(3) A for the zinc, cadmium, and mercury species, respectively. The shorter Hg-Hg bond in comparison to that of Cd-Cd is consistent with DFT calculations which show that the strength of the Hg-Hg bond is greater. The arylmetal halides precursors (Ar'MI)(1 or 2), and the highly reactive hydrides (Ar'MH)(1 or 2), were also synthesized and fully characterized by X-ray crystallography (Zn and Cd) and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. The arylzinc and arylcadmium iodides have iodide-bridged dimeric structures, whereas the arylmercury iodide, Ar'HgI, is monomeric. The arylzinc and arylcadmium hydrides have symmetric (Zn) or unsymmetric (Cd) mu-H-bridged structures. The Ar'HgH species was synthesized and characterized by spectroscopy, but a satisfactory refinement of the structure was precluded by the contamination of monomeric Ar'HgH by Ar'H. It was also shown that the decomposition of Ar'Cd(mu-H)(2)CdAr' at room temperature leads to the M-M bonded Ar'CdCdAr', thereby supporting the view that the reduction of the iodide proceeds via the hydride intermediate.

Addition of two equivalents of CuCl to deprotonated bis-(2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl)-2-(N-toluenesulfonylamino)ethylamine (PETAEA) and its derivatives yielded new types of dinuclear Cu(I) complexes, Cu(mu-PETAEA)CuCl, Cu(mu-PEMAEA)CuCl, and Cu(mu-PENAEA)CuCl (PEMAEA is the 4-methoxyphenyl derivative of PETAEA and PENAEA is the 4-nitrophenyl derivative), exhibiting a four coordinate N(4)Cu center, a two coordinate NCuCl center, and a metal-metal distance within the range of 2.6572(8) to 2.6903(3) A. Analysis of the covalent radii for four coordinate and two coordinate copper(I), the acute copper-nitrogen-copper angles, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest a weak attraction between the two copper atoms. The complexes apparently formed in a two-step process with the formation of the tetracoordinate mononuclear complex preceding the coordination of a second equivalent of CuCl to the lone pair of the sulfonamidate ligand.

The synthesis and first structural characterization of a cadmium-cadmium bonded molecular compound Ar'CdCdAr' (Ar' = C6H3-2,6-(C6H3-2,6-Pri2)2) are reported. The existence of the Cd-Cd bond was established by 113Cd NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (Cd-Cd = 2.6257(5) A). Like its group 12 analogue Ar'ZnZnAr', DFT calculations showed that Ar'CdCdAr' had significant p-character in the Cd-Cd sigma-bonding HOMO.

Reactions of the "digallene" Ar'GaGaAr'(1) (Ar' = C(6)H(3)-2,6-(C(6)H(3)-2,6-Pr(i)(2))(2)), which dissociates to green :GaAr' monomers in solution, with unsaturated N-N-bonded molecules are described. Treatment of solutions of :GaAr' with the bulky azide N(3)Ar(#) (Ar(#) = C(6)H(3)-2,6-(C(6)H(2)-2,6-Me(2)-4-Bu(t))(2)), afforded the red imide Ar'GaNAr(#) (2). Addition of the azobenzenes, ArylNNAryl (Aryl = C(6)H(4)-4-Me (p-tolyl), mesityl, and C(6)H(3)-2,6-Et(2)) yielded the 1,2-Ga(2)N(2) ring compound Ar'GaN(p-tolyl)N(p-tolyl)GaA' (3) or the products MesN=NC(6)H(2)-2,4-Me(2)-6-Ga(Me)Ar' (4) and 2,6-Et(2)C(6)H(3)N=NC(6)H(3)-2-Et-6-Ga(Et)Ar' (5). Reaction of GaAr' with N(2)CPh(2) yielded the 1,3-Ga(2)N(2) ring compound Ar'Ga(mu:eta(1)-N(2)CPh(2))(2)GaAr' (6), which is quasi-isomeric to 3. Calculations on simple model isomers showed that the Ga(I) amide GaNR(2) (R = Me) is much more stable than the isomeric Ga(III) imide RGaNR. This led to the synthesis of the first stable monomeric Ga(I) amide, GaN(SiMe(3))Ar' ' (8) (Ar' ' = C(6)H(3)-2,6-(C(6)H(2)-2,4,6-Me(3))(2) from the reaction of LiN(SiMe(3))Ar' ' (7) and "GaI". Compound 8 is also the first one-coordinate gallium species to be characterized in the solid state. The reaction of 8 with N(3)Ar' ' afforded the amido-imide derivative Ar' 'NGaN(SiMe(3))Ar' ' (9), a gallium nitrogen analogue of an allyl anion. All compounds were spectroscopically and structurally characterized. In addition, DFT calculations were performed on model compounds of the amide, imide, and cyclic 1,2- and 1,3-species to better understand their bonding. The pairs of compounds 2 and 8 as well as 3 and 6 are rare examples of quasi-isomeric heavier main group element compounds.

The electronic structure of the heavier congeners of alkynes has been studied with emphasis on characterizing their extent of diradical character. Four orbitals play a crucial role in determining the electronic structure in planar trans-bent geometries. Two are associated with an out-of-plane pi interaction, pi and pi, and two are associated with in-plane interactions and/or in-plane lone pairs, LP(n-) and LP(n+). The ordering of these orbitals can change depending upon geometry. One extreme, corresponding to the local minimum for Si-Si and Ge-Ge, is a diradicaloid multiple-bonding configuration where LP and pi are nominally occupied. Another extreme, corresponding to a local minimum for Sn-Sn, is a relatively closed-shell single-bond configuration where LP and LP are nominally occupied. This ordering leads to predicted bond shortening upon excitation from singlet to triplet state. For the heavier elements, there appears to be very little energy penalty for large geometric distortions that convert from one ordering to the other on the singlet surface. The implications of these results with respect to experimental observations are discussed.

Although in principle transition metals can form bonds with six shared electron pairs, only quadruply bonded compounds can be isolated as stable species at room temperature. Here we show that the reduction of {Cr(mu-Cl)Ar'}2 [where Ar' indicates C6H3-2,6(C6H3-2,6-Pri2)2 and Pr indicates isopropyl] with a slight excess of potassium graphite has produced a stable compound with fivefold chromium-chromium (Cr-Cr) bonding. The very air- and moisture-sensitive dark red crystals of Ar'CrCrAr' were isolated with greater than 40% yield. X-ray diffraction revealed a Cr-Cr bond length of 1.8351(4) angstroms (where the number in parentheses indicates the standard deviation) and a planar transbent core geometry. These data, the structure's temperature-independent paramagnetism, and computational studies support the sharing of five electron pairs in five bonding molecular orbitals between two 3d5 chromium(I) ions.

A sequence of first row transition metal(II) dithiolates M(SAr)(2) (M = Cr(1), Mn(2), Fe(3), Co(4), Ni(5) and Zn(6); Ar = C(6)H(3)-2,6-(C(6)H(2)-2,4,6-Pr(i)(3))(2)) has been synthesized and characterized. Compounds 1-5 were obtained by the reaction of two equiv of LiSAr with a metal dihalide, whereas 6 was obtained by treatment of ZnMe(2) with 2 equiv of HSAr. They were characterized by spectroscopy, magnetic measurements, and X-ray crystallography. The dithiolates 1, 2, and 4-6 possess linear or nearly linear SMS units with further interactions between M and two ipso carbons from C(6)H(2)-2,4,6-Pr(i)(3) rings. The iron species 3, however, has a bent geometry, two different Fe-S distances, and an interaction between iron and one ipso carbon of a flanking ring. The secondary M-C interactions vary in strength in the sequence Cr(2+) approximately Fe(2+) > Co(2+) approximately Ni(2+) > Mn(2+) approximately Zn(2+) such that the manganese and zinc compounds have essentially two coordination but the chromium and iron complexes are quasi four and three coordinate, respectively. The geometric distortions in the iron species 3 suggested that the structure represents the initial stage of a rearrangement into a sandwich structure involving metal-aryl ring coordination. The bent structure of 3 probably also precludes the observation of free ion magnetism of Fe(2+) recently reported for Fe{C(SiMe(3))(3)}(2). DFT calculations on the model compounds M(SPh)(2) (M = Cr-Ni) support the higher tendency of the iron species to distort its geometry.

Reaction of TlCl and [LiN(Me)Ar(Mes)2](2) [Ar(Mes)2 = C(6)H(3)-2,6-(C(6)H(2)-2,4,6-Me(3))(2)] in Et(2)O generated the thallium amide, TlN(Me)Ar(Mes)2 (1). X-ray data showed that it has a monomeric structure with an average Tl-N distance of 2.364(3) Angstroms. There was also a Tl-arene approach [Tl-centroid = 3.026(2) Angstroms (avg)] to a flanking mesityl ring from the terphenyl substituent. DFT calculations showed that this interaction is weak and supported essentially one coordination for thallium. The electronic spectrum of 1 is hypsochromically shifted in comparison to the monomeric TlAr(Trip)2 (Trip = C(6)H(2)-2,4,6-Pr(i)(3)).

The reduction of the digermene Ar'(H)GeGe(H)Ar' (Ar' = C6H3-2,6(C6H3-2,6-Pri2)2) with Li, Na, or K afforded [Li(THF)3Et2O][LiAr'(H)GeGe(H)Ar'] (1), Na2Ar'Ge(mu-H)2GeAr' (2), or K2{Ar'(H)GeGe(H)Ar'} (3), which have three different structures. 1 features a planar C(ipso)H)GeGe(H)C(ipso) dianion core with an associated Li+ cation. In contrast, 2 features a unique bridged hydride structure in which two Na+ ions also bridge the germaniums. In 3, the C(ipso)(H)GeGe(H)C(ipso) array has a nonplanar trans bent core with associated K+ ions. There is single Ge-Ge bonding in 1 and 3, but the Ge-Ge bonding in 2 may involve biradical character.

The first, well-characterized 1,2-dilithium salt of a group 14 element ethenide species, [[(dioxane)(0.5)(Et2O)LiGeC6H3-2,6-Mes2]2]infinity, shows that the positions of the cations have a large effect on the length of the Ge-Ge double bond.

The proximity of the calcium/strontium binding site of the oxygen evolving complex (OEC) of photosystem II (PSII) to the paramagnetic Mn cluster is explored with (87)Sr three-pulse electron spin-echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) spectroscopy. CW-EPR spectra of Sr(2+)-substituted Ca(2+)-depleted PSII membranes show the modified g = 2 multiline EPR signal as previously reported. We performed three-pulse ESEEM on this modified multiline signal of the Mn cluster using natural abundance Sr and (87)Sr, respectively. Three-pulse ESEEM of the natural abundance Sr sample exhibits no detectable modulation by the 7% abundance (87)Sr. On the other hand, that of the (87)Sr enriched (93%) sample clearly reveals modulation arising from the I = (9)/(2) (87)Sr nucleus weakly magnetically coupled to the Mn cluster. Using a simple point dipole approximation for the electron spin, analysis of the (87)Sr ESEEM modulation depth via an analytic expression suggests a Mn-Ca (Sr) distance of 4.5 A. Simulation of three-pulse ESEEM with a numerical matrix diagonalization procedure gave good agreement with this analytical result. A more appropriate tetranuclear magnetic/structural model for the Mn cluster converts the 4.5 A point dipole distance to a 3.8-5.0 A range of distances. DFT calculations of (43)Ca and (87)Sr quadrupolar interactions on Ca (and Sr substituted) binding sites in various proteins suggest that the lack of the nuclear quadrupole induced splitting in the ESEEM spectrum of (87)Sr enriched PSII samples is related to a very high degree of symmetry of the ligands surrounding the Sr(2+) ion in the substituted Ca site. Numerical simulations show that moderate (87)Sr quadrupolar couplings decrease the envelope modulation relative to the zero quadrupole case, and therefore we consider that the 3.8-5.0 A range obtained without quadrupolar coupling included in the simulation represents an upper limit to the actual manganese-calcium distance. This (87)Sr pulsed EPR spectroscopy provides independent direct evidence that the calcium/strontium binding site is close to the Mn cluster in the OEC of PSII.

Reaction of Ar'GeGeAr' (1) with an excess of Me3SiN3 gives the non-Kekulé, biradicaloid Ar'Ge(mu-NSiMe3)2GeAr' (3, Ar' = 2,6-Dipp2C6H3, Dipp = 2,6-i-Pr2C6H3) which has a planar Ge2N2Si2 array and pyramidal geometry at the germaniums. DFT calculations for the model MeGe(mu-NSiH3)2GeMe indicate no Ge-Ge bonding and a singlet ground state. The calculated energy difference between the optimized singlet and triplet states is 17.51 kcal/mol.

We report CW-EPR, ESEEM, and structural NMR results, as well as DFT calculations, on model compounds relevant to the unusual cross-linked Tyr-His (YH) moiety at the active site of the heme-copper oxidases. CW-EPR spectra of an (15)N isotopically labeled 4-methyl-2-(4-methyl-imidazole-1-yl)-phenol radical are nearly identical to those of the natural abundance (14)N compound. We obtain good simulations of these EPR spectra without including hyperfine couplings to the nitrogen nuclei. This implies that the electron distribution of the radical is largely localized on the phenol ring with only a small amount of spin delocalized onto the nitrogens of the imidazole. Using three-pulse ESEEM spectroscopy, we have successfully detected the two imidazole ring nitrogens, one near the "exact cancellation" ESEEM condition and the other more weakly coupled. We assign these to the imino and amino nitrogens, respectively, based on DFT calculations performed on this radical species. The experimental results and the supporting density functional calculations clearly show that the imidazole substituent has only a minor effect on the electronic structure of the substituted phenol radical.

Two new, "user-friendly" derivatives of triptycene containing AsH(2) and SiH(3) fragments were synthesized. Both solids are crystalline, air-stable compounds characterized by elevated melting points and resistance toward moisture. The highly reactive As-H and Si-H bonds are protected by the presence of the surrounding phenylene hydrogen atoms, which ensure a remarkable kinetic stabilization of these primary hydrides. After X-ray irradiation of a single crystal of triptycenesilane, a persistent silyl radical was trapped and characterized.