| abstract |
Trimethylenecyclopropane wherein all six hydrogen atoms are symmetrically substituted with cyano, alkoxycarbonyl or carbacyl groups and which are salt-forming can be made by reacting tetrachlorocyclopropene with the appropriate active methylene compound such as malononitrile, acetyl acetone or ethyl cyanoacetate. Using limited amounts of malononitrile and a tertiary amine, a tetracyanodimethylenecyclopropene substituted with a quaternary ammonium group is obtained, which reacts with other active methylene compounds including the above, nitroalkanes, benzoylacetonitrile, benzenesulfonylacetonitrile, and dialkyl sulfones to form unsymmetrical substituted trimethylenecyclopropane. The neutral compounds are useful as organic oxidants. Their radical anion salts are useful as organic conductors and as dyes, and the dianion salts are useful as image formers on transparent films or on opaque substrates. |