The new reagent proves to be an extremely strong oxidizing agent and allows for the synthesis of reactive species in standard laboratory solvents that were previously difficult or inaccessible -- for example, the oxidation of decamethylferrocenium, which is a long known and very stable species to the corresponding highly reactive dication in the presence of carbon monoxide. With this newly described reagent, many of the above mentioned disadvantages of other oxidants can be circumvented, since it reacts as an innocent oxidizing agent: only taking up electrons from the substrate without showing further reactivity.

Due to the broad applicability described in the article, this reagent is interesting for inorganic, organic chemistry as well as electrochemical or materials science research questions. "In the future, for example, it might be possible to embed it in a polymer to be used as cathode material for organic batteries," explains Schorpp.

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Journal Reference:

1. Marcel Schorpp, Tim Heizmann, Maximillian Schmucker, Stephan Rein, Stefan Weber, Ingo Krossing. Synthesis and Application of a Perfluorinated Ammoniumyl Radical Cation as a Very Strong Deelectronator. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2020; 59 (24): 9453 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202002768