Synthesis and electrochemical behavior of clothespin-shaped bisflavin compounds

Clothespin-shaped bisflavin compounds 1 bearing doubly linked 3,3′:10,10′-methylene spacers exhibited significant enhancement of specific association with a variety of neutral aromatic compounds in DMF under electroreduction conditions. This specificity could be rationalized by the ‘electric clip motion’ of intermediate bis-anion radical species.