Pulse radiolysis study of salt effects on reactions of aromatic radical cations with Cl-

The effect of quaternary ammonium salts on the decays of the radical cations of biphenyl, trans-stilbene, anthracene and pyrene generated by pulse radiolysis in chlorohydrocarbons has been investigated. The decays, which are due to neutralization reactions with Cl-, are retarded by the addition of salts having non-nucleophilic PF6-, BF4- and ClO4-, whereas the radical cations are rapidly quenched by salts having I- and BPh4-. The retarding effect of the salts is attributed to the formation of ion pairs between the reacting ions and the counter-ions from the salts. The rate constants for the neutralization reactions in 1,2-dichloroethane have been determined for the free-ion and ion-paired states; the latter state is attained by the addition of Bu4NPF6. The rate constant determined in the absence of the salt for Pysup(radical)+ is one order of magnitude smaller than those for the others. The salt effect is also smallest on the reaction of Pysup(radical)+. The charge delocalisation of the large aromatic radical cation may be responsible for the exceptional results for Pysup(radical)+. The largest salt effect was observed on the reaction of Ph2CH+, a charge-localized carbenium ion investigated for comparison. The solvent effect on the neutralization reactions is also discussed. (author)