Electronic Structure and Photophysical Properties of Planar Conjugated Hydrocarbons with 4n-Membered Rings. I. Photoelectron Spectra of 1,5,9-Tridehydro[12]-annulene and Related Compounds

The HeI photoelectron spectra of the title compound 1 (1,5,9-cyclododecatriene-3,7,11-triyne), 1,5-didehydro[12]annulene (1,3,5,9-cyclododecatetraene-7, 11-diyne ( 2 )), sym-tri-benzotridehydro[12]annulene (tribenzo[a,e,i]-5,6,11,12,17,18-hexadehydrocyclododecene ( 3 )), and sym-dibenzodidehydro[8]annulene (dibenzo[a,e]-5,6,11,12-tetradehydrocyclooctene ( 4 )) have been recorded and analysed on the basis of various semi-empirical model calculations. Despite the distinct bond length alternation in the parent compounds and, apparently, in the radical cations, the first ionization occurs at low energies in these compounds (7.6 ± 0.2 eV). The spectra yield little information with regard to the transannular interactions of the triple bonds.