Orbital Control in the Dimerization of Polycyclic Aromatic Ketones and Quinones in the Presence of Alkali Metal Alcoholates

Polycyclic aromatic ketones and quinones undergo dimerization in the presence of alkali metal aicohoiates; anion-radicals of the substrates are formed under these conditions, and the direction of dimerization depends on the spin density in the intermediate anion-radical.