Chemical capture of an unprecedented oxatetramethyleneethane radical cation with a through-space electronic coupling

A photoinduced electron-transfer reaction of 2,2-dianisyl-4-isopropylidene-3,3-dimethylcyclobutanone (5) in acetonitrile containing molecular oxygen or water gave 4,4′-dimethoxybenzophenone (7) and 2,2-dianisyl-4-isopropylidene-5,5-dimethylhydrofuran-3-one (8), demonstrating the chemical capture of an unprecedented oxatetramethyleneethane-type radical cation intermediate (6+). A density functional theory calculation suggests through-space electronic coupling between the tetramethylallyl and joined dianisylmethyl carbonyl subunits in 6+.