Directed design of a AuI complex with a reduced mesoionic carbene radical ligand : insights from 1,2,3-triazolylidene selenium adducts and extensive electrochemical investigations

Abstract

Carbene‐based radicals are important for both fundamental and applied chemical research. Herein, extensive electrochemical investigations of nine different 1,2,3‐triazolylidene selenium adducts are reported. It is found that the half‐wave potentials of the first reduction of the selones correlate with their calculated LUMO levels and the LUMO levels of the corresponding triazolylidene‐based mesoionic carbenes (MICs). Furthermore, unexpected quasi‐reversibility of the reduction of two triazoline selones, exhibiting comparable reduction potentials, was discovered. Through UV/Vis/NIR and EPR spectroelectrochemical investigations supported by DFT calculations, the radical anion was unambiguously assigned to be triazoline centered. This electrochemical behavior was transferred to a triazolylidene‐type MIC‐gold phenyl complex resulting in a MIC‐radical coordinated AuI species. Apart from UV‐Vis‐NIR and EPR spectroelectrochemical investigations of the reduction, the reduced gold‐coordinated MIC radical complex was also formed in situ in the bulk through chemical reduction. This is the first report of a monodentate triazolylidene‐based MIC ligand that can be reduced to its anion radical in a metal complex. The results presented here provide design principles for stabilizing radicals based on MICs.