| Abstract: | The radical mono-ions of three azoalkanes in which the azo group is connected to the polycyclic alkane moieties at the bridgehead C-atoms, i. e. 1,1′-azonorbornane ( 1 ), 1,1′-azotwistane ( 2 ), and 1,1′-azobi-cyclo3.2.1]octane ( 3 ), were studied in fluid solution by ESR spectroscopy. According to the ESR parameters and MO models, the radical cations of 1 – 3 should be considered as σ radicals, whereas the corresponding radical anions are π radicals. INDO calculations point to a remarkable dependence of the l4N-coupling constants on the geometry at the N-atoms in the radical cations of aliphatic azo compounds. |
