Open Access

Hans Bock, Mark Sievert, Holger Schödel, Markus Kleine

• The following mixed-stack donor/acceptor complexes {D · · · A }∞ have been crystallized and their structures determined: { 1 ,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene · · · tetrabromo-p -benzoquinone}∞ , {hexamethylbenzene · · · tetrabromo-p-benzoquinone}∞ , { ( 1 ,2 ,4,5-tetramethyl-benzene)2 · · · tetrachloro -p -benzoquinone}∞ , {pyrene · · · tetrafluoro-p-benzoquinone}∞ , {pyrene · · · tetrabromo-p-benzoquinone}∞ and {perylene · · · tetrabromo-p-benzoquinone}∞ . They exhibit an interesting lattice packing, especially the 2:1 tripeldecker sandwich of tetrachloro-p-benzoquinone, which crystallizes in a herringbone pattern. Their interplanar distances are around 340 pm, i. e. two van der Waals π radii. None of them , however, exhibits in neither the donor nor the acceptor components significant structural changes due to complex formation. Their colours range from orange-red to black in the crystal and to green in H2CCl2 solution. Their long-wavelengths charge transfer absorption maxim a correspond to a lowering in excitation energy of up to 2 eV relative to that of the components. The different charge transfer in the ground and excited states of the donor/acceptor complexes investigated is further discussed referring to data such as cyclovoltammetric reduction potentials as w ell as to results from semiempirical calculations based on the crystal structure data determined and including configuration interaction.