Chemistry:Gomberg's dimer

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Gomberg's dimer
Gomberg's dimer 1.png
GombergDiimer (cropped).jpg
Names
Preferred IUPAC name
1,1′,1′′-{[4-(Diphenylmethylidene)cyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-yl]methanetriyl}tribenzene
Other names
3-triphenylmethyl-6-diphenylmethylidene-1,4-cyclohexadiene
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
Properties
C38H30
Molar mass 486.658 g·mol−1
Appearance Yellow solid
Density 1.16 g/cm3
Melting point 140–144 °C; 284–291 °F; 413–417 K
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Infobox references
Tracking categories (test):

Gomberg's dimer is the organic compound with the formula Ph2C=C6H5-CPh3, where Ph = C6H5. It is a yellow solid that is air-stable for hours at room temperature and soluble in organic solvents.[1] The compound achieved fame as the dimer of triphenylmethyl radical, which was prepared by Moses Gomberg in his quest for hexaphenylethane.

Its quinoid structure has been determined by X-ray crystallography. The C-C bond that reversibly breaks is rather long at 159.7 picometers.[1]

Synthesis and reactions

Gomberg's dimer can be prepared quantitatively by treating trityl bromide with powdered copper or silver:[2]

2 Ph3CBr + 2 Cu → Ph2C=C6H5-CPh3 + 2 CuBr

Gomberg's dimer reversibly dissociates to the triphenylmethyl radical in organic solvents:[3]

Gomberg dimer dissociation.png

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bochkarev, L. N.; Molosnova, N. E.; Zakharov, L. N.; Fukin, G. K.; Yanovsky, A. I.; Struchkov, Y. T. (1995). "1-Diphenylmethylene-4-(triphenylmethyl)cyclohexa-2,5-diene Benzene Solvate". Acta Crystallographica Section C Crystal Structure Communications 51 (3): 489–491. doi:10.1107/S0108270194009005. 
  2. Eisenberg, David C.; Lawrie, Christophe J. C.; Moody, Anne E.; Norton, Jack R. (1991). "Relative Rates of Hydrogen Atom (H.) Transfer from Transition-Metal Hydrides to Trityl Radicals". Journal of the American Chemical Society 113 (13): 4888–4895. doi:10.1021/ja00013a026. 
  3. Pangia, Thomas M.; Davies, Casey G.; Prendergast, Joshua R.; Gordon, Jesse B.; Siegler, Maxime A.; Jameson, Guy N. L.; Goldberg, David P. (28 March 2018). "Observation of Radical Rebound in a Mononuclear Nonheme Iron Model Complex". Journal of the American Chemical Society 140 (12): 4191–4194. doi:10.1021/jacs.7b12707. PMID 29537258.