A Strain Induced Change of Mechanism from a [2 + 2 + 2] to a [2 + 1 + 2 + 1] Cycloaddition Reaction

Cycloparaphenylenes via [2+2+2] Cycloaddition

The [2+2+2] cycloaddition (CA) offers great potential as an atom economic method for the formation of substituted aromatic rings. In this article, we highlight the application of this versatile method...

CuII-Catalyzed Coupling with Two Ynone Units by Selective Triple and Sigma C-C and C-H Bond Cleavages

We report a new copper-catalyzed [2 + 2 + 1] annulation process through the selective cleavage of sigma and triple C-C and C-H bonds using two ynone units. This new methodology involves breaking multiple chemical bonds in a single operation, including C≡C, C-C, C-H, and N-O. These high-value adducts lead to a diverse collection of synthetically challenging trisubstituted indolizines by the simultaneous engagement of different bond-breaking events and show excellent fluorescence in green aqueous solutions.

Rhodium-Catalyzed [2+1+2+1] Cycloaddition of Benzoic Acids with Diynes through Decarboxylation and C≡C Triple Bond Cleavage

It has been established that an electron-deficient cyclopentadienyl rhodium(III) (Cp^E Rh^III ) complex catalyzes the oxidative and decarboxylative [2+1+2+1] cycloaddition of benzoic acids with diynes through C≡C triple bond cleavage, leading to fused naphthalenes. This cyclotrimerization is initiated by directed ortho C-H bond cleavage of a benzoic acid, and the subsequent regioselective alkyne insertion and decarboxylation produce a five-membered rhodacycle. The electron-deficient nature of the Cp^E Rh^III complex promotes reductive elimination giving a cyclobutadiene-rhodium(I) complex rather than the second intermolecular alkyne insertion. The oxidative addition of the thus generated cyclobutadiene to rhodium(I) (formal C≡C triple bond cleavage) followed by the second intramolecular alkyne insertion and reductive elimination give the corresponding [2+1+2+1] cycloaddition product. The synthetic utility of the present [2+1+2+1] cycloaddition was demonstrated in the facile synthesis of a donor-acceptor [5]helicene and a hemi-hexabenzocoronene by a combination with the chemoselective Scholl reaction.

Cycloparaphenylenes and related nanohoops

The first synthesis of a cyclic oligophenylene possessing a radial π system was reported in 2008. In the short period that has elapsed since, there has been an ever-increasing level of interest in molecules of this type, as evidenced by the volume of publications in this area. This interest has been driven by the highly unusual properties of these molecules in comparison to their linear oligoarene analogues, as well as the diverse array of potential applications for them. Notably, CPPs and related structures were proposed as viable templates for the bottom-up synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), a proposition which has recently been realised. This review gives a comprehensive and strictly chronological (by date of first online publication) treatment of literature reports from the inception of the field, with emphasis on both synthesis and properties of CPPs and related nanohoops. (The scope of this review is restricted to molecules possessing a radial π system consisting entirely of subunits which are aromatic in isolation, e.g. CPPs, but not cycloparaphenyleneacetylenes or cyclopolyacetylenes).

Nano-rings with a handle - Synthesis of substituted cycloparaphenylenes

The research of cycloparaphenylenes (CPPs), the smallest armchair carbon nanotube, has been a quest for the past decades which experienced a revival in 2008 when the first synthesis was achieved. Since then CPPs with various ring sizes have been realized. The incorporation of substituents and the synthesis of CPPs with building blocks different from phenyl rings bear challenges of their own. Such structures, however, are highly interesting, as they allow for an incorporation of CPPs as defined nano-objects for other applications. Therefore, this review provides a status report about the current efforts in synthesizing CPPs beyond the parent unsubstituted oligo-phenylene structure.