Annulenoannulene

Internally 2,5-Thienylene-Bridged [46]Decaphyrin: (Annuleno)annulene Network Consisting of Möbius Aromatic Thia[28]hexaphyrins and Strong Hückel Aromaticity of its Protonated Form

Internally 1,3-phenylene- and 2,5-thienylene-bridged [46]decaphyrins 2 and 3 have been synthesized. While 2 shows modest aromatic character derived from the global 46π-conjugated circuit, 3 displays larger aromatic character owing to the contribution of an (annuleno)annulene-type network consisting of two twisted Möbius aromatic thia[28]hexaphyrin segments in addition to the global 46π-network. Upon protonation, these [46]decaphyrins underwent large structural changes to acquire strong aromaticity. Protonated 3 has been revealed to take on a planar structure composed of fused two triangular thia[28]hexaphyrin segments.

Two-Dimensional Acetylenic Scaffolding: Extended Donor-Substituted Perethynylated Dehydroannulenes

Starting from (Z)-bis(N,N-diisopropylanilino)-substituted tetraethynylethene (TEE), perethynylated octadehydro[12]- and dodecadehydro[18]annulenes were prepared by oxidative Hay coupling. The dodecadehydro[18]annulene with six peripheral N,N-diisopropylanilino substituents was characterized by X-ray crystallography. Elongation of the Z-bisdeprotected TEE by Cadiot-Chodkiewicz coupling with 1-bromo-2-(triisopropylsilyl)ethyne provided a Z-configured bis(butadiyne), which after alkyne deprotection afforded under Hay coupling conditions N,N-diisopropylanilino-substituted perethynylated hexadecadehydro[20]- and tetracosadehydro[30]annulenes. The diisopropylanilino substituents enhance the properties of these unprecedented all-carbon perimeters in several distinct ways. They ensure their solubility, increase their stability, and importantly, engage in strong intramolecular charge-transfer interactions with the electron-accepting all-carbon cores, resulting in intense, bathochromically shifted charge-transfer bands in the UV/Vis spectra. The charge-transfer character of these bands was confirmed by protonation-neutralization experiments. The redox properties of the new carbon-rich chromophores were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and rotating disk voltammetry, which indicated different redox behavior for aromatic (4n+2 pi electrons) and antiaromatic (4n pi electrons) dehydroannulenes.