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Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Exploring the Radical Nature of a Carbon Surface by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance and a Calibrated Gas Flow
Published on: April 24, 2014
Air- and Water-Persistent C‑Centered Radical Anion Based on FLP-Type-Activated CO2
Caroline Gonçalves1, Agustín Morales1,2, Léon Escomel1
1Université de Toulouse, LCC-CNRS, 205 Route de Narbonne, 31077 Toulouse Cedex 04, France.
None:
Organic radicals play pivotal roles in chemistry, biology, and materials science. Although typically short-lived and highly reactive, considerable efforts have been devoted to stabilizing open-shell molecules to better understand their properties and expand their applications. Among them, air-persistent organic radicals (APORs) stand out as benchmarks of stability. Herein, we report the first air- and water-persistent radical anion derived from CO2. This species is generated from an FLP-type-activated CO2 adduct comprising an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) as the Lewis base and a ditopic perfluorinated diborane as the Lewis acid. Combined experimental and theoretical studies reveal that both thermodynamic and kinetic factors contribute to the remarkable stability of this open-shell system.
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