ENDOR Studies of Alkyl Substituted p-Benzosemiquinones in Reversed Micelles and in 2-Propanol

Various substimted p-benzosemiquinone radical anions, inter alia ubisemiquinone and derivatives, have been investigated in 2-propanol and in reversed micelles by EPR and ENDOR spectroscopy. Unsymmetrical semiquinones, with respect to the oxygen atoms, experience remarkable hyperfine shifts depending on the medium. This effect even allows differentiation between stereoisomers. Immobilization of the semiquinone molecules at the water-surfactant interface in reversed micelles gives rise to pronounced asymmetric linewidth effects. In the case of 2-cyclohexyl-3-methyl-1,4-benzosemiquinones, mixtures of two species (conformers) have been observed.