Cyclic voltammetric oxidation of 1,2,3,4,5-pentaphenylcyclopentadiene has been studied in non-polar chloroalkane solvents (CH2Cl2 and CH2ClCH2Cl). The oxidation is reversible if tetra-n-butylammonium hexafluorophosphate (TBA^+PF6^-) is used as supporting electrolyte, but irreversible when tetra-n-butylammonium perchlorate (TBA^+ClO4^-) or tetra-n-butylammonium trifluoromethane sulfonate (TBA^+OTf^-) are used, and partially reversible when tetra-n-butylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TBA^+BF4^-) is used. Oxidation of 1,2,3,4,5-pentaphenyl-1-methylcyclopentadiene, which has no relatively acidic protons, was reversible with all four supporting electrolytes. The criteria for reversibility were observation of cathodic wave on scan reversal, equal anodic and cathodic peak currents, minor dependence of peak potentials on scan rate, v, and linearity of anodic peak current, ipa with the square root of scan rate, v^1/2 , corresponding to Randles-Sevcik equation for reversible processes. It is proposed that perchlorate (ClO4^-) and triflate (OTf^-) anions are sufficiently basic to accept a proton from 1,2,3,4,5-pentaphenylcyclopentadiene cation-radical intermediate, while tetrafluoroborate (BF4^-) and particularly hexafluorophosphate (PF6^-) are less basic, and therefore less reactive. Controlled potential electrolysis of 1,2,3,4,5-pentaphenylcyclopentadiene with tetra-n-butylammonium perchlorate as supporting electrolyte affords the cation, which is consistent with an ECE mechanism in which the chemical step is proton loss.

Master of Science (MSc)

Thesis