Studies of the electron-promoted cope cyclization of 2,5-phenyl-substituted 1,5-hexadiene radical anions

This work describes studies of the electron-promoted Cope cyclization of 2,5-phenyl-1,5-hexadiene radical anions in a flowing afterglow triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. The electronic properties of the hexadienes have been systematically modified by using aromatic substituents at the 2- and 5-positions of the hexedienes, including those with nitro, trifluoromethyl, fluoro, chloro, and acetyl groups. Ions were formed by the thermal attachment of electrons in the gas phase. Structures of the molecular radical anions were probed to determine whether they undergo cyclization to a cyclohexane-1,4-diyl anion structure by examining chemical reactivity with neutral reagents including carbon dioxide, carbon disulfide, and nitric oxide. First-order rate constants for the reactions of ions were measured, and the reaction efficiencies were determined. Based on the reactivity results, a thermochemical model has been developed, which predicts the reaction thermochemistry by using thermochemical properties of model systems. The observed reactivity from ion-molecule reactions and the study of reaction rates show that the ion of 2,5-dicyanohexadiene and 2,5-di(4,4'-trifluoromethyl phenyl)-1,5-hexadiene undergo Cope cyclization, whereas the radical anions having substituents such as the fluoro, nitro, chloro, and acetyl groups do not.     

Concerted rearrangement versus heterolytic cleavage in anionic [2,3]- and [3,3]-sigmatropic shifts. A DFT study of relationships among anion stabilities,mechanisms, and rates

The anionic [2,3] sigmatropic Wittig rearrangements of deprotonated 4-hetera-1-pentenes and the anionic [3,3] sigmatropic Cope rearrangements of 3-substituted-1,5-hexadienes were explored by using density functional theory calculations. While the deprotonated anionic 3-hydroxy-1,5 hexadiene (2a), 3-thiohydroxy-1,5-hexadiene (2c), and 3-formamidyl-1,5-hexadiene (2d) Cope substrates undergo concerted rearrangements, the deprotonated anionic 3-amino-1,5-hexadiene (2b) and 3-methyl-1,5-hexadiene (2e) Cope substrates follow nonconcerted cleavage/recombination pathways. We have also found that the gas-phase Wittig (1a), aza-Wittig (1b), and carba-Wittig (1c) reactions proceed via nonconcerted cleavage/recombination pathways. These results are compared with previous results on the Cope rearrangements of deprotonated anionic 3-hydroxy-1,5-hexadiene and 3-amino-1,5-hexadiene anions. A previously established model that heterolytic and homolytic bond dissociation energies can be used to predict how anionic amino- and oxy-Cope substrates will react is generalized to account for the reactivity of other Cope substrates as well as for the Wittig rearrangements. There is also a relationship between the basicity of the anionic substituent in the Cope rearrangement and the reaction pathway: the more basic the substituent anion, the less stable it is, and the more likely it is that cleavage will occur. A first step toward studying these reactions in solution was also taken by calculating energetics for some of the rearrangements with a lithium counterion present.     

The structure of ionized 1,5 hexadiene in the gas phase

The structure of ionized 1,5-hexadiene, prepared by charge transfer between 1,5-hexadiene and CS2+*, is examined using energy-resolved collision-induced dissociation (CID). By comparing the product distributions and product appearance curves with those of authentic low-energy C6H10+* ions, it is determined that 1,5-hexadiene cation spontaneously rearranges to cyclohexene cation in the gas-phase. The proposed mechanism for formation of cyclohexene cation in the gas phase is analogous to that determined for this process under matrix isolation conditions, where it proceeds via a Cope rearrangement to the cyclohexane-1,4-diyl cation, followed by isomerization to cyclohexene cation. It is shown that electron ionization (EI) of 1,5-hexadiene gives a different molecular ion than is obtained upon chemical ionization (CI). The energy-resolved CID mass spectrum for the EI product is consistent with what would be obtained for a mixture of low energy ion isomers.     

Structure and reactivity of benzoylnitrene radical anion in the gas phase

The open-shell benzoylnitrene radical anion, readily generated by electron ionization of benzoylazide, undergoes unique chemical reactivity with radical reagents and Lewis acids in the gas phase. Reaction with nitric oxide, NO, proceeds by loss of N2 and formation of benzoate ion. This novel reaction is also observed to occur with phenylnitrene anion, forming phenoxide. Similar reactivity was observed in the reaction between benzoylnitrene radical anion and NO2, forming benzoate ion and nitrous oxide. Electronic structure calculations indicate that the reaction has a high-energy barrier that is overcome by the energy released by bond formation. Benzoylnitrene radical anion also transfers oxygen anion to NO and NO2 as well as to CS2 and SO2. In contrast, phenylnitrene anion reacts with carbon disulfide by C+ or CS+ abstraction, forming S- or S2-. Electronic structure calculations indicate that benzoylnitrene in the ground state resembles a slightly polarized benzoate anion, but with a free radical localized on the nitrogen.     

Gas-phase reactions for selective detection of the explosives TNT and RDX

Highly selective gas-phase reactions with ethyl vinyl ether (EVE) of major electron (EI) and chemical ionization (CI) fragment ions of the explosives TNT and RDX have been uncovered. The fragment ion of m/z 210 from TNT undergoes [4(+)+ 2] cycloaddition with EVE to form an oxo-iminium ion of m/z 282, which dissociates by acetaldehyde loss after a [1,5-H] shift to form a quinolynium ion of m/z 238. The fragment ion of m/z 149 from RDX reacts with EVE by a formal vinylation reaction, that is, the elusive cyclic adduct loses ethanol to yield a nitro-iminium ion of m/z 175, which reacts further with EVE to form a second cyclic product ion of m/z 247. Calculations and MS/MS experiments support the proposed structures. These highly characteristic reactions of diagnostic EI and CI fragment ions improve selectivity for TNT and RDX detection.     

Unusual reaction of phenylpropargyl aldehyde with diethylamine and acetone cyanohydrin

Conclusions An unusual product was obtained by the reaction of phenylpropargyl aldehyde with acetone cyanohydrin and diethylamine, which has the structure of 1,6-dicyano-1,6-bis(diethylamino)-3,4-diphenyl-1,5-hexadiene.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1637–1639, July, 1979.     

X-Ray structural investigation of 1,3,6-trichloro-3,6-dimethylcycloheptanecarbonitrile and 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-dichlorohexane — Products of the reaction of 2,5-dimethyl-1,5-hexadiene with trichloroacetonitrile

Addition of trichloroacetonitrile to 2,5-dimethyl-1,5-hexadiene in the presence of cuprous amine complexes is studied. Single crystal X-ray diffraction unambiguously proves that the main product is a racemic mixture of the cyclic symmetric nitrile: (1r,3R,6S)-and (1r,3S,6R)-1,3,6-trichloro-3,6-dimethylcycloheptanecarbonitrile. Established relative configuration of the product confirms the ring closure mechanism suggested before. Also, a side product 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-dichlorohexane is isolated (the product of hydrochlorination of the starting alkadiene). Low-temperature (190 K) structural examination of this centrosymmetrical molecule indicates that the unit cell comprises one molecule.     

Unexpected reactions of 1,4-diaza-1,3-dienes under acylating conditions. A new cyclization to non-acylated imidazole derivatives

The reaction of anions from 1,2-bisimines with acid chlorides gives unacylated 2H-imidazoles. The unprecedented reactivity of these anions is interpreted by cyclization of the radical generated by electron transfer from the anion to the acid chloride.     

Mass spectrometric analysis of leukotriene A4 and other chemically reactive metabolites of arachidonic acid

The biosynthesis of prostaglandins and leukotrienes proceeds through the formation of chemically reactive intermediates leukotriene A4 (LTA4) and prostaglandin H2 (PGH2) which in aqueous solutions have chemical half-lives of 3 s and 3 min, respectively. Prostacyclin (PGI2) is another chemically reactive prostanoid that has a chemical half-life of 3-4 min. The recent development of reversed phase HPLC stationary phases that are stable to elevated pH (pH 10-12) without significant column damage has permitted direct analysis of these acid-sensitive eicosanoids. Using electrospray ionization, molecular anions [M - H]- of these compounds were observed at m/z 317 for LTA4 and m/z 351 for both PGH2 and PGI2. The mechanism of formation of ions derived from collisional activation of LTA4 was studied using stable isotope labeled and chemical analogs of LTA4 and found to involve formation of highly conjugated anions at m/z 261 and 163. The collisional activation of the molecular anion of PGH2 yielded a product ion spectrum identical to that observed for the isomeric prostaglandins PGE2 and PGD2. However, it was possible to baseline separate PGE2, PDG2, and PGH2 by reversed phase HPLC using basic HPLC mobile phases. The collisional activation of PGI2 led to a family of abundant ions including highly conjugated carbon-centered and oxygen-centered radical species (m/z 245 and 205) likely derived from the attack of the carboxylate anion on the cyclic enolether of PGI2 as well as the most abundant product ion (m/z 215) which formed following loss of neutral hexanal and water. The structures of these product ions were consistent with high resolution measurements measured in a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer.     

Aromatic nucleophilic substitution (S<Subscript>N</Subscript>Ar) Reactions of 1,2- and 1,4-halonitrobenzenes and 1,4-dinitrobenzene with carbanions in the gas phase

In the gas-phase reactions of halonitro- and dinitrophenide anions with X (X = F, Cl, Br, NO(2)) and NO(2) groups in ortho or para position to each other with selected C-H acids: CH(3)CN, CH(3)COCH(3), and CH(3)NO(2), products of the S(N)Ar-type reaction are formed. Nitrophenide anions are generated by decarboxylation of the respective nitrobenzenecarboxylate anions in ESI ion source and the S(N)Ar reaction takes place either in the medium-pressure zone of the ion source or in the collision chamber of the triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. In the case of F, Cl, and NO(2) derivatives, the main ionic product is the respective [NO(2)-Ph-CHR](-) anion (R = CN, COCH(3), NO(2)). In the case of Br derivatives, the main ionic product is Br(-) ion because it has lower proton affinity than the [NO(2)-Ph-CHR](-) anion (for R = CN, COCH(3)). For some halonitrophenide anion C-H acid pairs of reactants, the S(N)Ar reaction is competed by the formation of halophenolate anions. This reaction can be rationalized by the single electron-transfer mechanism or by homolytic C-H bond cleavage in the proton-bound complex, both resulting in the formation of the halonitrobenzene radical anion, which in turn undergoes -NO(2) to -ONO rearrangement followed by the NO(.) elimination.     

Low-energy collision-induced fragmentation of negative ions derived from ortho-, meta-, and para-hydroxyphenyl carbaldehydes, ketones, and related compounds

Collision-induced dissociation (CID) mass spectra of anions derived from several hydroxyphenyl carbaldehydes and ketones were recorded and mechanistically rationalized. For example, the spectrum of m/z 121 ion of deprotonated ortho-hydroxybenzaldehyde shows an intense peak at m/z 93 for a loss of carbon monoxide attributable to an ortho-effect mediated by a charge-directed heterolytic fragmentation mechanism. In contrast, the m/z 121 ion derived from meta and para isomers undergoes a charge-remote homolytic cleavage to eliminate an *H and form a distonic anion radical, which eventually loses CO to produce a peak at m/z 92. In fact, for the para isomer, this two-step homolytic mechanism is the most dominant fragmentation pathway. The spectrum of the meta isomer on the other hand, shows two predominant peaks at m/z 92 and 93 representing both homolytic and heterolytic fragmentations, respectively. (18)O-isotope-labeling studies confirmed that the oxygen in the CO molecule that is eliminated from the anion of meta-hydroxybenzaldehyde originates from either the aldehydic or the phenolic group. In contrast, anions of ortho-hydroxybenzaldehyde and 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde, both of which show two consecutive CO eliminations, specifically lose the carbonyl oxygen first, followed by that of the phenolic group. Anions from 2-hydroxyphenyl alkyl ketones lose a ketene by a hydrogen transfer predominantly from the alpha position. Interestingly, a very significant charge-remote 1,4-elimination of a H(2) molecule was observed from the anion derived from 2,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde. For this mechanism to operate, a labile hydrogen atom should be available on the hydroxyl group adjacent to the carbaldehyde functionality.     

Unusual collision-induced dissociation of fluorated and non-fluorated alpha-nitrotoluene analogs in a gas chromatograph triple-stage quadrupole mass spectrometer under electron-capturing negative-ion chemical ionization conditions

Unusual collision-induced dissociation (CID) of perfluorated and non-perfluorated alpha-nitrotoluene analogs in a gas chromatograph triple-stage quadrupole (TSQ) mass spectrometer (GC-QqQ-MS) under electron-capturing negative-ion chemical ionization conditions is reported. CID of [M - 1]- of alpha-nitro-2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorotoluene (C6F5CH2-NO2) and alpha-nitro-2,5-difluorotoluene (C6H3F2CH2-NO2) produced an intense ion with m/z 66. By using 15N- or 18O-labelled C6F5CH2-NO2 analogs, we found that this anion has the formula C3NO. By contrast, CID of [M - 1]- of alpha-nitrotoluene (C6H5CH2-NO2) and alpha-nitro-3,5-difluorotoluene (C6H3F2CH2-NO2) produced an anion with m/z 86 with the formula C3H4NO2. The expected CID of the C-N-bond of all alpha-nitrotoluene analogs to form the nitrite anion (NO2-, m/z 46) did not occur. We propose mechanisms for the formation of the anions C3NO and C3H4NO2 in the collision chamber of the TSQ mass spectrometer. The most likely structures for the anion C3NO are :C=C=C=N--O and N triple bond C-C triple bond C--O-. The unique CID behavior of C6F5CH2--NO2 can be utilized to unequivocally identify and accurately quantify nitrite in biological fluids by GC-tandem MS.     

The Role of Donor-Acceptor Complexes in the Initiation of Ionic Polymerization

Work carried out in the past few years aimed at elucidating the mechanism of initiation of vinyl polymerization when a donor and an acceptor molecule, one or both of which may be vinyl monomers, is summarized. The emphasis of our investigation has been on polymerizable ether donors and strong electron acceptors which do not undergo polymerization, or the acceptor vinylidene cyanide. Alkyl vinyl ethers were polymerized in the presence of tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) and 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone (DDQ) in polar solvents. Observation of the ESR spectrum of the DDQ radical anion and the isolation of a 1:1 addition product of DDQ and alkyl vinyl ether when the two are mixed in a 1:1 ratio and quenched in alcohol support an initiation mechanism involving a coupling reaction of the donor monomer (radical cation) and the acceptor initiator (radical anion). The reaction of vinylidene cyanide (VC) with the vinyl ethers p-dioxene, dihydropyran, ethyl vinyl ether, isopropyl vinyl ether, and ketene diethylacetal in a variety of solvents at 25°C spontaneously afforded poly(vinylidene cyanide), the cycloaddition products 7,7-dicyano-2,5-dioxo-bicyclo[4.2.0] octane, 8,8-dicyano-2-oxo-bicyclo[4.2.0] octane, the 1,1-dicyano-2-alkoxycyclo-butanes, and 1,1-diethoxy-2,2,4,4-tetracyanohexane, respectively, and with the exception of p-dioxene, homopolymers of the vinyl ethers. In the presence of AIBN at 80°C, alternating copolymers were obtained in addition to the homopolymers and cycloaddition products, supporting the involvement of donor-acceptor complexes. The reaction of styrene with VC spontaneously formed an alternating copolymer in addition to the 1:2 head-to-head cycloaddition product, 1,1,3,3-tetracyano-4-phenylcyclohexane. Mixing VC with any one of the cyclic ethers tetrahydrofuran, oxetane, 2,2-dimethyloxirane, 2-chloromethyloxirane, and phenyloxirane resulted in the polymerization of both the VC and the cyclic ether to afford homopolymers of both. The cyclic ethers trioxane, 3,3-bis(chloromethyl)oxetane, and oxirane initiated the polymerization of VC, but did not undergo ring-opening polymerizations themselves. Other ethers such as 1,3-dioxolane, tetrahydropyran, and diethyl ether did not initiate the polymerization of VC. In these polymerizations, VC and the cyclic ethers polymerize via anionic and cationic propagation reactions, respectively.     

The anionic oxy-Cope rearrangement: using chemical reactivity to reveal the facile isomerization of the parent substrates in the gas phase.

The rearrangements of 1,5-hexadiene-3-oxide and 3-methyl-1,5-hexadiene-3-oxide have been studied in the gas phase, using both Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS) and the flowing afterglow (FA) technique. Gas-phase studies of ionic rearrangements can be limited by analysis techniques such as collision-induced dissociation, which have the potential of driving the rearrangement prior to fragmentation. In the studies reported here, we have utilized methanol-O-d, methyl nitrite, and dimethyl disulfide as chemical reactivity probes to discern whether rearrangement of either of the alkoxides to their corresponding enolates occurs. Of the three structural probe reagents, dimethyl disulfide has been found to be most ideal, since it reacts efficiently with both alkoxides and enolates to produce a unique product from each. On the basis of the reactions observed between dimethyl disulfide and anions generated from 1,5-hexadien-3-ol and 3-methyl-1,5-hexadien-3-ol, we have found that the gas-phase Cope rearrangement of both tertiary and secondary alkoxides occurs under both FTMS and FA conditions. Use of dimethyl disulfide in the FTMS and evaluation of ion residence time in the FA lead to the establishment of an upper limit on the Delta H(*) of the rearrangement of both the parent secondary and tertiary substrates as approximately 11 kcal mol(-1) at 298 K. This value is consistent with our B3LYP/6-31+G* prediction. The rearrangement is also faster in the gas phase than in solution, in accord with theoretical predictions.     

Unterschiedliche konformative Fixierung von 2,5-Diphenyl-1,5-hexadien in Dichloro-2,5-diphenyl-1,5-hexadienplatin(II)-Komplexen,Cl2Pt[(C6H5)2C6H8]

Different Conformative Fixation of 2,5-Diphenyl-1,5-hexadiene in Dichloro-2,5-diphenyl-1,5-hexadiene Platinum(II) Complexes, Cl₂Pt[(C₆H₅)₂C₆H₈] It has been shown that the 2,5-diphenyl-1,5-hexadiene ligand can be coordinated in two different conformations when it is bound to a dichloroplatinum(II) fragment.     

Determination of N-NO bond dissociation energies of N-methyl-N-nitrosobenzenesulfonamides in acetonitrile and application in the mechanism analyses on NO transfer

The heterolytic and homolytic N-NO bond dissociation energies of seven substituted N-methyl-N-nitrosobenzenesulfonamides (abbreviated as G-MNBS, G = p-OCH(3), p-CH(3), p-H, p-Cl, p-Br, 2,5-2Cl, m-NO(2)) in acetonitrile solution were evaluated for the first time by using titration calorimetry and relative thermodynamic cycles according to Hess' law. The results show that the energetic scales of the heterolytic and homolytic N-NO bond dissociation energies of G-MNBS in acetonitrile solution cover the ranges from 44.3 to 49.5 and from 33.0 to 34.9 kcal/mol for the neutral G-MNBS, respectively, which indicates that N-methyl-N-nitrosobenzenesulfonamides are much easier to release a NO radical (NO(*)) than to release a NO cation (NO(+)). The estimation of the heterolytic and homolytic (N-NO)(-)(*) bond dissociation energies of the seven G-MNBS radical anions in acetonitrile solution gives the energetic ranges of -15.8 to -12.9 and -3.1 to 1.8 kcal/mol for the (N-NO)(-)(*) bond homolysis and heterolysis, respectively, which means that G-MNBS radical anions are very unstable at room temperature and able to spontaneously or easily release a NO radical or NO anion (NO(-)), but releasing a NO radical is easier than releasing NO anion. These determined N-NO bond dissociation energies of G-MNBS and their radical anions have been successfully used in the mechanism analyses of NO transfer from G-MNBS to 3,6-dibromocarbazole and the reactions of NO with the substituted N-methyl-benzenesulfonamide nitranions (G-MBSN(-)) in acetonitrile solution.     

Balancing dynamic and nondynamic correlation for diradical and aromatic transition states: a renormalized coupled-cluster study of the cope rearrangement of 1,5-hexadiene

Single-reference coupled-cluster calculations employing the completely renormalized CCSD(T) (CR-CCSD(T)) approach have been used to examine the mechanism of the Cope rearrangement of 1,5-hexadiene. In agreement with multireference perturbation theory, the CR-CCSD(T) method favors the concerted mechanism of the Cope rearrangement involving an aromatic transition state. The CCSD(T) approach, which is often regarded as the "gold standard" of electronic structure theory, seems to fail in this case, favoring pathways through diradical structures.     

Electrochemical studies of weak carbon and nitrogen acids: Fluorene and p-cyanoaniline in dimethylformamide

The electrochemical reduction of fluorene and p-cyanoaniline in DMF at a platinum electrode is initially a one-electron process which affords the corresponding readical anions. In the absence of an added proton donor, decomposition of the radical anions occurs by carbonhydrogen bond cleavage to give the conjugate bases of the starting materials; the anions subsequently slowly abstract a proton from the tetraalkylammonium cation of the supporting electrolyte to regenerate the original electroactive species. In the presence of dimethylmalonate, both radical anions rapidly electron transfer to the added proton donor. Neither self-protonation nor protonation by the added donor was observed for either radical anion. In addition to proton abstraction, 9-fluorenyl anion reacts with oxygen to give fluorene and hydroxide ion. Abstraction of a proton from fluorene by the latter species then effects a chain reaction in which 9-fluorenyl anion is the chain-carrying species. Reduction of bifluorenyl occurs with carbon-carbon bond cleavage to give 9-fluorenyl anion as the initial product. Subsequent proton transfer from bifluorenyl to 9-fluorenyl anion then yields the final products, 9-bifluorenyl anion and fluorene, in equimolar amounts.     

Is the hypothiocyanite anion (OSCN)- the major product in the peroxidase catalyzed oxidation of the thiocyanate anion (SCN)-? A joint experimental and theoretical study

The hypothiocyanate anion (OSCN)(-) is reported to be a major product of the lactoperoxidase/H(2)O(2)/(SCN)(-) system, and this anion is proposed to have significant antimicrobial properties. The collision induced (CID) negative ion mass spectrum of "(OSCN)(-)" has been reported: there is a pronounced parent anion at m/z 74, together with fragment anions at m/z 58 (SCN)(-) and 26 (CN)(-). These fragment anions are consistent with structure (OSCN)(-). However there is also a lesser peak at m/z 42 (OCN(-) or CNO(-)) in this spectrum which is either formed by rearrangement of (OSCN)(-) or from an isomer of this anion. The current theoretical investigation of (OSCN)(-) and related isomers, together with the study of possible rearrangements of these anions, indicates that ground-state singlet (OSCN)(-) is a stable species and that isomerization is unlikely. The three anions (OSCN)(-), (SCNO)(-), and (SNCO)(-) have been synthesized (in the ion source of a mass spectrometer) by unequivocal routes, and their structures have been confirmed by a consideration of their collision induced (negative ion) and charge reversal (positive ion) mass spectra. The CID mass spectrum of (SCNO)(-) shows formation of m/z 42 (CNO(-)), but the corresponding spectra of (OSCN)(-) or (SNCO)(-) lack peaks at m/z 42. Combined theoretical and experimental data support earlier evidence that the hypothiocyanite anion is a major oxidation product of the H(2)O(2)/(SCN)(-) system. However, the formation of m/z 42 in the reported CID spectrum of "(OSCN)(-)" does not originate from (OSCN)(-) but from another isomer, possibly (SCNO)(-).     

Investigation of the gas phase reactivity of the 1-adamantyl radical using a distonic radical anion approach

The gas phase reactions of the bridgehead 3-carboxylato-1-adamantyl radical anion were observed with a series of neutral reagents using a modified electrospray ionisation linear ion trap mass spectrometer. This distonic radical anion was observed to undergo processes suggestive of radical reactivity including radical-radical combination reactions, substitution reactions and addition to carbon-carbon double bonds. The rate constants for reactions of the 3-carboxylato-1-adamantyl radical anion with the following reagents were measured (in units 10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1)): (18)O(2) (85 +/- 4), NO (38.4 +/- 0.4), I(2) (50 +/- 50), Br(2) (8 +/- 2), CH(3)SSCH(3) (12 +/- 2), styrene (1.20 +/- 0.03), CHCl(3) (H abstraction 0.41 +/- 0.06, Cl abstraction 0.65 +/- 0.1), CDCl(3) (D abstraction 0.035 +/- 0.01, Cl abstraction 0.723 +/- 0.005), allyl bromide (Br abstraction 0.53 +/- 0.04, allylation 0.25 +/- 0.01). Collision rates were calculated and reaction efficiencies are also reported. This study represents the first quantitative measurement of the gas phase reactivity of a bridgehead radical and suggests that distonic radical anions are good models for the study of their elusive uncharged analogues.