Solvent effect on kinetics of the C-Cl bond cleavage in radical anions of chloroanthracenes

Rate constants of C-Cl bond cleavage, k cl, in radical anions of 2-chloro- and 9,10-dichloroanthracenes were determined in a number of aprotic solvents by means of the voltammetric method. They were discussed in terms of the Saveant concerted mechanism and the recent formulation including the impact of the electronic coupling on the activation barrier height. The very low slope, equal to -0.09, of the relationship between RT ln k cl and the thermodynamic driving force was observed