Electrocatalytic oxidative Z/E isomerization of a stilbene favoured by the presence of an electroactive persistent radical†
Abstract
A push–pull-functionalized stilbene has been prepared, with an electroactive perchlorotriphenylmethyl (PTM˙) radical and dimethylamine units as electron-withdrawing and -donating moieties, respectively, showing an electrocatalytic redox-induced Z → E isomerization where the open-shell nature of PTM˙ plays a key role in the isomerization ocurrance.