Siegfried Hünig, Ingeborg Wehner

• Dications 1 derived from 2,2-bipyridine are found to exist as fully reversible two step redox systems with persistent radical ions (SEM) of high thermodynamic stability, if the bridge X forces the two pyridine rings into co planar positions. The well known derivative 1a (Diquat R) is now complemented by the boronium ions 1c and 1e -1g., as shown by voltammetry and the uv spectra of the corresponding radicals.