Singlet Diradical Character from Experiment

Understanding the electronic structure of the singlet diradical state tackles the fundamentals of the chemical bond itself. The singlet diradical character is a key factor, which determines the chemical reactivity, the reaction products, as well as the chemical/physical (electronic, optical and magnetic) properties, although this quantity is defined in a purely theoretical manner. In this Letter, on the basis of the valence configuration interaction scheme, we present an explicit connection between the singlet diradical character and measured quantities obtained from one- and two-photon absorption spectra as well as from phosphorescence and electron spin resonance peaks. This enables us to estimate the singlet diradical character experimentally.