Redox properties of monoiminoacenaphthenes (MIANs) were studied using various electrochemical techniques. The potential values obtained were used for calculating the electrochemical gap value and corresponding frontier orbital difference energy. The first-peak-potential reduction of the MIANs was performed. As a result of controlled potential electrolysis, two-electron one-proton addition products were obtained. Additionally, the MIANs were exposed to one-electron chemical reduction by sodium and NaBH4. Structures of three new sodium complexes, three products of electrochemical reduction, and one product of the reduction by NaBH4 were studied using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The MIANs reduced electrochemically by NaBH4 represent salts, in which the protonated MIAN skeleton acts as an anion and Bu4N+ or Na+ as a cation. In the case of sodium complexes, the anion radicals of MIANs are coordinated with sodium cations into tetranuclear complexes. The photophysical and electrochemical properties of all reduced MIAN products, as well as neutral forms, were studied both experimentally and quantum-chemically.
Keywords: X-ray structure; anion radical; electrochemical gap; electrochemical reduction; monoimonoacenaphthene; one-electron reduction; sodium complex; two-electron reduction.