Consequences of Substitution in the Photoelectron Spectra of [2, 2]Paracyclophanes: Separation of ‘through-space’ and ‘through-bond’ interactions as a consequence of fluorosubstitution

The PE. spectra of 2, 2]paracyclophane ( 1 ), 4-amino2, 2]paracyclophane ( 2 ) and 1, 1, 2, 2, 9, 9, 10, 10-octafluoro2, 2]paracyclophane ( 3 ) are presented. The bands corresponding to ejection of the photoelectron from the five highest occupied π-orbitals have been assigned. The ‘observed’ orbital energies (i.e. the negative ionization potentials) are discussed in terms of ‘through space’ and ‘through-bond’ interactions between the semi-localized π-orbitals ( e_1g ) of the benzene moieties and the C, C-σ-orbitals of the ethylene bridges. The PE. spectrum of 3 shows that the fluorine-induced lowering of the C, C-σ-orbital energy effectively ‘turns-off’ the ‘through-bond’ interaction. The resulting pattern of the first four bands confirms the assignment given for 1 . Finally the band shifts induced by an amino group in position 4 are again in agreement with this assignment. Attention is drawn to the phenomenon of ‘orbital switching’ as a consequence of substitution in loosely coupled systems such as 1 .