Preparation and Characterization of Some Pentaarylethyls

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00173a036

The reaction of triphenylmethylsodium with dichlorodiphenylmethane does not give pentaphenylethyl as previously reported, but when the anion reacts with 9,9-dichlorofluorene, it does form the reported 9-tritylfluorenyl radical which has been characterized by ESR spectroscopy.The radical is better prepared by oxidation of the anion of 9-tritylfluorene.The 9-tritylfluorenyl radical reacts with traces of oxygen to give triphenylmethyl and fluorenone.With light it forms triphenylmethyl and fluorenylidene.The latter was established by photolyzing 9-diazofluorene in the presence of triphenylmethyl with the generation of 9-tritylfluorenyl.Small yields of the persistent pentakis(p-tert-butylphenyl)ethyl radical have been prepared, and it is propable that pentaphenylethyl has also.