SELECTED TOPICS ON ORGANIC ELECTRON DONOR-ACCEPTOR COMPLEXES OF TETRACYANOETHYLENE

After a short introduction on the Mulliken theory of electron-donor ac ceptor complexes, this review deals with the theoretical and mechanist ic aspects of the chemistry of ethene tetracarbonitrile (tetracyanoeth ylene) as electron acceptor in stable or transient electron donor-acce ptor (EDA) complexes. Particular attention has been paid to some recen t aspects of this chemistry, namely the formation of radical ion pairs , as shore living intermediates, in charge transfer-catalyzed reaction s and reactions with supramolecules. The review refers mainly to the l iterature appeared in the last fifteen years.