Radical cation

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title: "Radical cation" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["reactive-intermediates", "mass-spectrometry"] topic_path: "general/reactive-intermediates" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_cation" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Wurster's_cation.svg" caption="Structure of [[Wurster's cation]], illustrating the ability of amino substituents to stabilize arene radical cations."] ::

Radical cations are denoted M^{+\bullet}. Salts of these species have been isolated in the cases of dibenzocyclooctatetraene, various tertiary amines, and some polymethylated derivatives of azulene. Radical cations, like radical anions, have one unpaired electron, i.e. they are paramagnetic.

Mass spectrometry

Radical cations appear prominently in mass spectrometry. When a gas-phase molecule is subjected to electron ionization one electron is abstracted by an electron in the electron beam to create a radical cation M+.. This species represents the molecular ion or parent ion. A typical mass spectrum shows multiple signals because the molecular ion fragments into a complex mixture of ions and uncharged radical species. For example, the methanol radical cation fragments into a methenium cation and a hydroxyl radical. In naphthalene the unfragmented radical cation is by far the most prominent peak in the mass spectrum. Secondary species are generated from proton gain (M+1) and proton loss (M-1).

Inorganic examples

Some compounds containing the dioxygenyl cation can be prepared in bulk. Many transition metal complexes are radicals and cationic, e.g. [MCl4]2- (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni). Such species are so pervasive that they are rarely discussed in the context of radicals.

Organic heterocycles and polymers

Radical cations figure prominently in the chemistry and properties of conducting polymers. Such polymers are formed by the oxidation of heterocycles to give radical cations, which condense with the parent heterocycle. For example, polypyrrole is prepared by oxidation of pyrrole using ferric chloride in methanol: : Once formed, these polymers become conductive upon oxidation. Polarons and bipolarons are radical cations encountered in doped conducting polymers.

References

References

  1. {{March6th
  2. Sparkman, O. David. (2000). "Mass spectrometry desk reference". Global View Pub.
  3. (1964). "New Dioxygenyl Compounds". Inorganic Chemistry.
  4. "Polypyrrole: a conducting polymer; its synthesis, properties and applications" Russ. Chem. Rev. 1997, vol. 66, p.443ff.(http://iopscience.iop.org/0036-021X/66/5/R04)
  5. {{March6th

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reactive-intermediatesmass-spectrometry