title: Hybrid super electron donors - preparation and reactivity.
abstract: Neutral organic electron donors, featuring pyridinylidene-imidazolylidene, pyridinylidene-benzimidazolylidene and imidazolylidene-benzimidazolylidene linkages are reported. The pyridinylidene-benzimidazolylidene and imidazolylidene-benzimidazolylidene hybrid systems were designed to be the first super electron donors to convert iodoarenes to aryl radicals at room temperature, and indeed both show evidence for significant aryl radical formation at room temperature. The stronger pyridinylidene-imidazolylidene donor converts iodoarenes to aryl anions efficiently under appropriate conditions (3 equiv of donor). The presence of excess sodium hydride base has a very important and selective effect on some of these electron-transfer reactions, and a rationale for this is proposed.
authors.affiliation: WestCHEM, Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, 295 Cathedral Street, Glasgow G1 1XL, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garnier
authors.forename: Douglas W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: Shengze
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Phillip I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Jolly
authors.forename: Leonard E A
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Berlouis
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Murphy