Revisiting the electrochemical formation, stability and structure of radical and biradical anionic structures in dinitrobenzenes

The effects of the position of a second nitroaromatic group (orthovs.paravs.meta) during reduction of nitrobenzenes were analysed. Cyclic voltammetric experiments in acetonitrile solution revealed that ortho-, meta- and para-dinitrobenzenes show two reversible reduction processes. An Electrochemical-Electron Spin Resonance (E-ESR) study showed that the corresponding radical anions of the ortho and para derivatives, electrogenerated during the first electron transfer uptake, remain the same even after the second monoelectronic process, increasing their intensity due to the presence of a comproportionation process (A2− + A → 2A−). For the case of the meta derivative, the electrogenerated radical anion at the first reduction peak is consumed at the second reduction step, forming a secondary radical species. During the electrochemical study of methyl 3,5-dinitrobenzoate, two successive and reversible electron processes were also observed; however, in this case, a very rare biradical dianion structure was found. The use of ESR-spectroelectrochemistry shed some light on controversial aspects of nitroaromatic reduction, especially concerning the second and further waves. These results were corroborated and interpreted with quantum chemical calculations of the molecular and electronic structures, electron affinities and spin densities. As a result, electrochemical mechanisms are presented and discussed.