Tetrathiafulvalenes, oligoacenenes, and their buckminsterfullerene derivatives: the brick and mortar of organic electronics.

Fluorescent naphthyl- and anthrylazoles from the catalytic coupling of phenylazoles with internal alkynes through the cleavage of multiple C-H bonds.

We report the synthesis and properties of network polymers of intrinsic microporosity (network−PIMs) derived from triptycene monomers that possess alkyl groups attached to their bridgehead positions. Gas adsorption can be controlled by the length and branching of the alkyl chains so that the apparent BET surface area of the materials can be tuned within the range 618−1760 m2 g−1. Shorter (e.g., methyl) or branched (e.g., isopropyl) alkyl chains provide the materials of greatest microporosity, whereas longer alkyl chains appear to block the microporosity created by the rigid organic framework. The enhanced microporosity, in comparison to other PIMs, originates from the macromolecular shape of the framework, as dictated by the triptycene units, which helps to reduce intermolecular contact between the extended planar struts of the rigid framework and thus reduces the efficiency of packing within the solid. The hydrogen adsorption capacities of the triptycene-based PIMs with either methyl or isopropyl substit...

Triptycene-based polymers of intrinsic microporosity: organic materials that can be tailored for gas adsorption

Aryne Cycloaddition Reactions in the Synthesis of Large Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds

Modern methods for the synthesis of substituted naphthalenes

Octaphenylbiphenylene, the expected dimer of tetraphenylbenzyne, has been prepared in low yield by diazotization of 3,4,5,6-tetraphenylanthranilic acid, and its X-ray structure has been determined. The X-ray structure of a second, abnormal dimer of tetraphenylbenzyne, 1,2,3,8,9,10-hexaphenyldibenzo[fg,op]naphthacene has also been determined; this is a saddle-shaped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,13,14,15,16-Dodecaphenyltriptycene, perhaps the most crowded triptycene derivative yet prepared, has been made by the reaction of tetraphenylbenzyne with 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octaphenylanthracene, which in turn was synthesized in two steps from commercial starting materials. The X-ray structure of the dodecaphenyltriptycene nonabenzene solvate is a remarkable channel containing structure in which more than 50% of the unit cell volume is occupied by the benzene molecules.

Octaphenylbiphenylene and dodecaphenyltriptycene.

Computational studies at the HF/3-21G and B3LYP/6-31G(d) levels suggest that 5,6,8-tri(tert-butyl)-1,2,3,4-tetraphenylnaphthalene (2) is perhaps the most crowded naphthalene derivative that will show normal stability; more highly congested naphthalenes will prefer to exist as the corresponding Dewar isomers. Initial attempts to prepare 2 by reacting 3,4,5,6-tetraphenylbenzyne with 2,3,5-tri(tert-butyl)cyclopentadienone at 83 °C gave instead a stable norbornadienone, 1,2,4-tri(tert-butyl)-5,6,7,8-tetraphenyl-9-oxo-1,4-dihydro-1,4-methanonaphthalene (3), which was characterized by X-ray crystallography. The experimental and calculated (HF/3-21G) activation energies (Ea) for the decarbonylation of 3 were quite high:  39 and 46 kcal/mol, respectively, a manifestation of the substantially increased strain in the transition state as the tert-butyl groups are forced together. The naphthalene 2 was obtained in good yield by heating 3 in refluxing toluene, and its X-ray structure showed exceptional distortions fro...

Jiajia Zhang

Papers

Octaphenylbiphenylene and dodecaphenyltriptycene.

Synthesis of an Extremely Crowded Naphthalene via a Stable Norbornadienone

Curious reduction products from a strained polycyclic quinone