Electrochemical generation of highly reduced oligoanthrylene systems ε- a voltammetric study

The electrochemical reduction of bianthryl, dianthrylalkanes, the corresponding trisanthrylene and homologous oligomers was studied in tetrahydrofuran + 0.1 M NaBPh4. In all cases at least tetra-anions were generated. For the trisanthrylene derivative a hexa-anion formation was observed. In all species strong temperature-dependent ion-pairing effects occurred. It appears that the coulombic interaction between the excess charges in anthracene moieties is a function of the length and type of the linking alkanediyl chain, of the type of counter-ions and of the temperature.