Synthesis of Cyclobutadienoid-Fused Phenazines with Strongly Modulated Degrees of Antiaromaticity

Assessing the Role of BN-Embedding Position in B2N2-Perylenes

Incorporating heteroatoms can effectively modulate the molecular optoelectronic properties. However, the fundamental understanding of BN doping effects in BN-embedded polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is underexplored, lacking rational guidelines to modulate the electronic structures through BN units for advanced materials. Herein, a concise synthesis of novel B2N2-perylenes with BN doped at the bay area is achieved to systematically explore the doping effect of BN position on the photophysical properties of PAHs. The shift of BN position in B2N2-perylenes alters the π electron conjugation, aromaticity and molecular rigidness significantly, achieving substantially higher electron transition abilities than those with BN doped in the nodal plane. It is further clarified that BN position dominates the photophysical properties over BN orientation. The revealed guideline here may apply generally to novel BN-PAHs, and aid the advancement of BN-PAHs with highly-emissive performance.

Biphenylene-containing polycyclic conjugated compounds

There has been a growing emphasis on the synthesis of polycyclic conjugated compounds, driven by their distinct structural characteristics that make them valuable candidates for use in cutting-edge technologies. In particular, acenes, a subgroup of polycyclic aromatic compounds, are sought-after synthetic targets due to their remarkable optoelectronic properties which stem from their π-conjugation and planar structure. Despite all these promising characteristics, acenes exhibit significant stability problems when their conjugation enhances. Various approaches have been developed to address this stability concern. Among these strategies, one involves the incorporation of the biphenylene unit into acene frameworks, limiting the electron delocalization through the antiaromatic four-membered ring. This review gives a brief overview of the methods used in the synthesis of biphenylenes and summarizes the recent studies on biphenylene-containing polycyclic conjugated compounds, elucidating their synthesis, and distinct optoelectronic properties.

The Radical Anion and Dianion of Benzo[3,4]cyclobuta[1,2-b]phenazine

We present the reduction of two azaacenes (a benzo-[3,4]cyclobuta[1,2-b]phenazine and a benzo[3,4]cyclobuta[1,2-b]naphtho[2,3-i]phenazine derivative), featuring a single cyclobutadiene unit, to their radical anions and dianions. The reduced species were produced using potassium naphthalenide in the presence of 18-crown-6 in THF. Crystal structures of the reduced representatives were obtained and their optoelectronic properties evaluated. Charging these 4n Hückel systems gives dianionic 4n + 2 π-electron systems with increased antiaromaticity, according to NICS(1.7)_zz calculations, featuring unusually red-shifted absorption spectra.

Linear π-conjugated polycyclic compounds consisting of four-, five-, and six-membered rings: benzo[1'',2'':3,4;4'',5'':3',4']bis(cyclobuta[1,2-c]thiophene)

Linear π-conjugated polycyclic compounds, BBCTs, containing linearly annulated 5-, 4-, 6-, 4-, and 5-membered rings were produced via copper-mediated double intramolecular coupling reactions. The absorption spectra and electrochemical results confirmed their moderate optical energy gaps and high HOMO energy levels, respectively. In a crystalline state, the BBCT molecules adopt a herringbone structure, while the methylated molecules form slipped one-dimensional columns. The local and global aromaticity of the new polycyclic compounds is discussed based on the experimental results and theoretical predictions. The present fundamental findings are useful for the further design and synthesis of novel π-conjugated polycyclic compounds containing four-membered rings with potential applications in electronic materials.

Synthesis of Contorted Polycyclic Conjugated Hydrocarbons via Regioselective Activation of Cyclobutadienoids

Contorted carbon structures have drawn much attention in the past decade for their rich three-dimensional geometries, enhanced solubility, and tunable electronic properties. We report a modular method to synthesize contorted polycyclic conjugated hydrocarbons containing helical moieties in controlled topologies. This strategy leverages our previously reported streamlined synthesis of π-systems containing four-membered cyclobutadienoids (CBDs), whose catalyzed cycloaddition with alkynes affords helical structures. Interestingly, we observed exclusive nonbay region regioselectivity in the C-C bond activation of CBDs in our system, which is opposite to the scarce previous examples of [N]phenylene activation that led to the formation of linear phenacene structures. The quantitative and regioselective nonbay region alkyne cycloaddition yielded a variety of helical carbon structures with their topologies predetermined by the CBD-containing precursor hydrocarbons. The cycloaddition can be inhibited by methyl substituents exocyclic to the four-membered ring, thus allowing selective activation of only certain desired CBD units while leaving the others intact. Calculation elucidated the basis for the observed regioselectivity. The described method provides a new route to multihelical aromatic hydrocarbons with complex yet defined geometries, facilitating the further exploration of such fascinating carbon structures.

Pseudo-atomic orbital behavior in graphene nanoribbons with four-membered rings

The incorporation of nonhexagonal rings into graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) is an effective strategy for engineering localized electronic states, bandgaps, and magnetic properties. Here, we demonstrate the successful synthesis of nanoribbons having four-membered ring (cyclobutadienoid) linkages by using an on-surface synthesis approach involving direct contact transfer of coronene-type precursors followed by thermally assisted [2 + 2] cycloaddition. The resulting coronene-cyclobutadienoid nanoribbons feature a narrow 600-meV bandgap and novel electronic frontier states that can be interpreted as linear chains of effective p_x and p_y pseudo-atomic orbitals. We show that these states give rise to exceptional physical properties, such as a rigid indirect energy gap. This provides a previously unexplored strategy for constructing narrow gap GNRs via modification of precursor molecules whose function is to modulate the coupling between adjacent four-membered ring states.

Serendipitous Rediscovery of the Facile Cyclization of Z,Z-3,5-Octadiene-1,7-diyne Derivatives to Afford Stable, Substituted Naphthocyclobutadienes

The serendipitous isolation of very small amounts of two naphthocyclobutadiene (NCB) derivatives has led to the computational re-examination of the electrocyclization of Z,Z-3,5-octadiene-1,7-diyne as well as the experimental and computational study of diethynylindeno[2,1-a]fluorene derivatives that contain the 3,5-octadiene-1,7-diyne motif as part of a larger π-framework. In both cases the calculated potential energy surface strongly implicates two successive electrocyclic reactions to afford the antiaromatic products. With the octadienediyne fragment locked in the reactive conformation, the postulated diethynylindeno[2,1-a]fluorene intermediates afford the NCBs in modest to good yields. X-ray crystallography of four NCBs as well as NICS-XY scan calculations show that the paratropic motif is located primarily in the benzocyclobutadiene fragment within the larger π-scaffold.

Theoretical Study on the Geometry, Aromaticity, and Electronic Properties of Benzo[3,4]cyclobutathiophenes and Their Homologues

The geometry, aromaticity, and electronic properties of benzo[3,4]cyclobutathiophenes (BCTs) and their homologues have been examined theoretically using density functional theory calculations. The harmonic oscillator measure of aromaticity and nucleus-independent chemical shift analyses revealed the aromaticity characteristics of the two regioisomers benzo[3,4]cyclobuta[1,2-b]thiophene and benzo[3,4]cyclobuta[1,2-c]thiophene. When the aromaticity of one of the six-π-electron rings increases, it concomitantly decreases in the other ring. The anti-aromaticity of the four-membered ring varies depending on the π-electron density of the shared bond with the thiophene ring. This leads to a large difference of the highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital gap between the isomers. Linear BCT homologues show medium diradical characters and the smallest E_Gap values. In the angular and branched homologues, the π-electrons of central benzene rings are localized avoiding the shared bonds, which results in a nonaromatic character. These data were compared to those of the parent hydrocarbons. Because of the diene character of the thiophene ring, the number and position of annulated thiophenocyclobutadieno moieties significantly influence the aromaticity and E_Gap values of BCT homologues. The present study does not only provide insight into the aromaticity and the properties of organic compounds containing four-membered rings but also affords helpful design guidelines of novel organic semiconductors.

Palladium/Norbornene Cooperative Catalysis

Palladium/norbornene cooperative catalysis has emerged as a distinct approach to construct polyfunctionalized arenes from readily available starting materials. This Review provides a comprehensive overview of this field, including the early stoichiometric investigations, catalytic reaction developments, as well as the applications in the syntheses of bioactive compounds and polymers. The section of catalytic reactions is divided into two parts according to the reaction initiation mode: Pd(0)-initiated reactions and Pd(II)-initiated reactions.

Dinaphthobenzo[1,2:4,5]dicyclobutadiene: Antiaromatic and Orthogonally Tunable Electronics and Packing

Polycyclic conjugated hydrocarbons containing antiaromatic four-membered cyclobutadienoids (CDB) are of great fundamental and technical interest. However, their challenging synthesis has hampered the exploration and understanding of such systems. Reported herein is a modular and efficient synthesis of novel CBD-containing acene analogues, dinaphthobenzo[1,2:4,5]dicyclobutadiene (DNBDCs), with orthogonally tunable electronic properties and molecular packing. The design also features strong antiaromaticity of the CBD units, as revealed by nucleus-independent chemical shift and anisotropy of the induced current density calculations, as well as X-ray crystallography. Tuning the size of silyl substituents resulted in the most favorable "brick-layer" packing for triisobutylsilyl-DNBDC and a charge mobility of up to 0.52 cm²  V^-1  s^-1 in field-effect transistors.