Polyynes vs. Cumulenes: Their Possible Use as Molecular Wires

Geometrical, electrical, and energetic parameters of hetero-disubstituted cumulenes and polyynes in the presence and absence of the external electric field

Cumulenes and polyynes have the potential to be applied as linear, sp-hybridized, one-dimensional all-carbon nanowires in molecular electronics and optoelectronics. The delocalization and conductivity descriptors of the two π-conjugated systems, heterodisubstituted with the NO2, CN, NH2, and OH groups, were studied using the B3LYP, B3LYP/D3, CAM-B3LYP, and ωB97XD DFT functionals, combined with the aug-cc-pVTZ basis set. Three independent types of molecular descriptors, based on geometry (the HOMA index), electrical properties (trace of the polarizability tensor), and energetic (the HOMO-LUMO energy gap) were shown to be mutually correlated and provided concordant indication that communication through the cumulene chain was considerably better than through the polyyne one. The communication can be tuned by using substituents of significantly different π-electron donor-acceptor properties as well as by the external electric field directed along the carbon chain.

Cumulene Wires Display Increasing Conductance with Increasing Length

One-dimensional sp-hybridized carbon wires, including cumulenes and polyynes, can be regarded as finite versions of carbynes. They are likely to be good candidates for molecular-scale conducting wires as they are predicted to have a high-conductance. In this study, we first characterize the single-molecule conductance of a series of cumulenes and polyynes with a backbone ranging in length from 4 to 8 carbon atoms, including [7]cumulene, the longest cumulenic carbon wire studied to date for molecular electronics. We observe different length dependence of conductance when comparing these two forms of carbon wires. Polyynes exhibit conductance decays with increasing molecular length, while cumulenes show a conductance increase with increasing molecular length. Their distinct conducting behaviors are attributed to their different bond length alternation, which is supported by theoretical calculations. This study confirms the long-standing theoretical predictions on sp-hybridized carbon wires and demonstrates that cumulenes can form highly conducting molecular wires.

Energetic and spectroscopic properties of the low-lying C7H2 isomers: a high-level ab initio perspective

We use high-level ab initio CCSD(T) and CCSDT(Q) methods to investigate the energetic and spectroscopic properties of nine low-lying isomers of C₇H₂, which lie within 1 eV. Among these, heptatriynylidene (1), 1-(buta-1,3-diynyl)cyclopropenylidene (2) and heptahexaenylidene (9) have been detected experimentally. The other six isomers, 1,2-(diethynyl)cyclopropenylidene (3), bicyclo[4.1.0]hepta-1,2,4,5-tetraene-7-ylidene (4), cyclohepta-1,2,3,4-tetraen-6-yne (5), bicyclo[4.1.0]hepta-4,6-diene-2-yne-7-ylidene (6), bicyclo[4.1.0]hepta-1,5-diene-3-yne-7-ylidene (7) and 1-(buta-1,3-diynyl)propadienylidene (8), remain hypothetical to date. Except for 1, all of the isomers are associated with a non-zero dipole moment (μ≠ 0). Although Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy had detected 2 and 9, our study reveals that six hypothetical isomers (3-8) are thermodynamically sandwiched between the experimentally known and astronomically relevant isomers 2 and 9. The structural parameters, dipole moments, rotational and centrifugal distortion constants, harmonic vibrational frequencies, and infra-red intensities presented here may be useful for the laboratory detection of these previously unidentified isomers (3-8) and also all others (2-9) in astronomical sources.

Preparation of asymmetrical polyynes by a solid-supported Glaser–Hay reaction

A novel approach to the synthesis of asymmetrical polyynes utilizing solid-supported chemistry.

Synthesis and properties of long [n]cumulenes (n ≥ 5)

This review highlights the synthesis and reactivity of longer [n]cumulenes (n ≥ 5) and summarizes their electronic and structural properties.

Density functional theory study on the structural, reactivity, and electronic properties of all mono-, di-, tri-, tetra-, and penta-fluoroanilines as monomers for conducting polymers

Electrical and structural properties of mono-, di-, tri-, tetra-, and penta-fluoroanilines as candidate monomers for new conducting polymers have been investigated using hybrid density functional theory (B3LYP/6–311+G**) based methods. The effects of the number and position of the fluorine atoms on the electrical and structural properties of fluoroanilines and their radical cations have also been investigated. The values of the vibrational frequencies, charge and spin-density distributions, ionization potentials, dipole moments, electric polarizabilities, HOMO-LUMO gaps, and the NICS values of these compounds have been calculated and analyzed as well. The results showed that the double bonds in 2-fluoroaniline and 2,5-difluoroaniline are more delocalized compared with other fluoroanilines; therefore, these molecules have the most aptitude for the electropolymerization reactions. The frequency analysis showed that the electrochemical stability of 2-fluoroaniline is greater than the other fluoroanilines. Also, this molecule possesses the largest NICS value compared to the other fluoroanilines. Consequently, 2-fluoroaniline has the largest ring current and the highest conductivity among all other monomers. Based on the results obtained, 2-fluoroaniline and 2,5-difluoroaniline are the best candidate monomers among all fluoroanilines for the synthesis of corresponding conducting polymers.

Chemistry of energetically activated cumulenes - from allene (H2CCCH2) to hexapentaene (H2CCCCCCH2)

During the last decade, experimental and theoretical studies on the unimolecular decomposition of cumulenes (H(2)C(n)H(2)) from propadiene (H(2)CCCH(2)) to hexapentaene (H(2)CCCCCCH(2)) have received considerable attention due to the importance of these carbon-bearing molecules in combustion flames, chemical vapor deposition processes, atmospheric chemistry, and the chemistry of the interstellar medium. Cumulenes and their substituted counterparts also have significant technical potential as elements for molecular machines (nanomechanics), molecular wires (nano-electronics), nonlinear optics, and molecular sensors. In this review, we present a systematic overview of the stability, formation, and unimolecular decomposition of chemically, photo-chemically, and thermally activated small to medium-sized cumulenes in extreme environments. By concentrating on reactions under gas phase thermal conditions (pyrolysis) and on molecular beam experiments conducted under single-collision conditions (crossed beam and photodissociation studies), a comprehensive picture on the unimolecular decomposition dynamics of cumulenes transpires.