Radical chemistry of alkyl aluminum with quinoxaline ligands

Abstract

The behavior of organo-aluminum species with 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl) quinoxaline (DPQ), a well-known polyazine capable of performing interesting radical transformations, was examined in the presence and absence of chromium. In spite of proving the presence of chromium as essential for reactivity, only organic radicals, coupled to aluminum-containing residues, have been isolated and characterized. The electronic structure of the organic radicals has been elucidated by a combination of crystallographic, DFT calculations and EPR studies. Experimental and computational work has highlighted the co-existence of both singlet and triplet forms in one di-radical complex.