Cyclobutane dication, (CH₂)₄²⁺: a model for a two-electron four-center (2e-4c) Woodward–Hoffmann frozen transition state

• G. K. Surya Prakash and
• Golam Rasul

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2019, 15, 1475–1479, doi:10.3762/bjoc.15.148

• G. K. Surya Prakash Golam Rasul Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute and Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, University Park, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1661, USA 10.3762/bjoc.15.148 Abstract The structures of the elusive cyclobutane dication, (CH2)42+, were investigated at the

• considered as a prototype for a 2e-4c Woodward–Hoffmann frozen transition state. The planar rectangular shaped structure 2 with a 2e-4c bond was found not to be a minimum. Keywords: cyclobutane dication; 2e-4c bond; frozen transition state; Woodward–Hoffmann rule; Introduction The protonated hydrogen

• +, v) and the cyclobutane dication (CH2)42+ (vi)? The structures of H42+ (including v) were previously analyzed at various theoretical levels including CISD/6-311++G(d,2pd) by von Ragué Schleyer, Koch and co-workers [9]. No structure with four connected hydrogens, however, was found to be a minimum on