it has been shown that 88 (R ¼ COPh) loses its proton in hydrogen-exchange reac- tions
6000 times more slowly than 89 (R ¼ COPh).232 Where R ¼ CN, the ratio is
10,000.233 This indicates that 88 are much more reluctant to form carbanions (which would have to be cyclopropenyl carbanions) than 89, which form ordinary carbanions. Thus the carbanions of 88 are less stable than corresponding ordinary carbanions. Although derivatives of cyclopropenyl anion have been prepared as fleeting intermediates (as in the exchange reactions mentioned above), all attempts to prepare the ion or any of its derivatives as relatively stable species have so far met with failure.234 In the case of 87, the ion has been prepared and has been shown to be a diradical in the ground state,235 as predicted by the discussion on p. 73.236 Evidence that 87 is not only nonaromatic, but also antiaromatic comes from studies on 90 and 92.237 When 90 is treated with silver perchlorate in propionic acid, the molecule is rapidly solvolyzed (a reaction in which the intermediate 91 is formed; see Chapter 5). Under the same conditions, 92 undergoes no solvolysis at all; that is, 87 does not form. If 87 were merely nonaromatic, it should be about as stable as 91 (which of course has no resonance stabilization at all). The fact that it is so much more reluc- tant to form indicates that 87 is much less stable than 91. It is noted that under cer- tain conditions, 91 can be generated solvolytically.238