title: Spontaneous generation of stable pnictinyl radicals from "jack-in-the-box" dipnictines: a solid-state, gas-phase, and theoretical investigation of the origins of steric stabilization.
abstract: The molecular structures of the stable phosphinyl and arsinyl radicals, .PnR(2) [Pn = P (2); As (4); R = CH(SiMe(3))(2)], have been determined by gas-phase electron diffraction (GED) in conjunction with ab initio molecular orbital calculations. The X-ray crystal structures of the corresponding dipnictines, the "dimers", R(2)PnPnR(2) [Pn = P (1), As (3)], and the chloro derivatives R(2)PnCl [Pn = P (5), As (6)] have also been determined. Collectively, these structural investigations demonstrate that large distortions of the ligands attached to Pn occur when the pnictinyl radicals unite to form the corresponding dipnictine dimers. Principally, it is the shape and flexibility of the CH(SiMe(3))(2) ligands that permit the formation of the P-P and As-As bonds in 1and 3, respectively. However, theoretical studies indicate that in the process of pnictinyl radical dimerization to form 1 and 3, both molecules accumulate substantial amounts of potential energy and are thus primed to spring apart upon release from the solid state by melting, dissolution, or evaporation. The insights gleaned from these unusual systems have permitted a deeper understanding of the functioning of sterically demanding substituents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JJ, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hinchley
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Rankin
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Macdonald
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Wiacek
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Voigt
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Cowley
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Lappert
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gundersen
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Clyburne
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Power