Tetrathienyl Corannulene Compounds with Highly Sensitive Photochromism

We have designed and synthesized photochromic tetrathienyl corannulene compounds, 1,2,7,8-tetrakis(2-methyl-5-phenylthiophen-3-yl)corannulene ( 1 ) and 1,2,7,8-tetrakis(2,4-dimethyl-5-phenylthiophen-3-yl)corannulene ( 2 ), by fusing two units of photochromic terarylene with a curved aromatic corannulene with a promising antenna effect. Compound 1 exhibited highly sensitive photoreactivity, with a large molar absorption coefficient of 8.2×10⁴ M⁻¹ cm⁻¹ and practically photon-quantitative photocyclization. On the other hand, a terarylene derivative with a planar aromatic phenanthrene, 9,10-bis(2,4-dimethyl-5-phenylthiophen-3-yl)phenanthrene ( 4 ) showed no photoreactivity. The reason for such a difference was attributed to the predominance of the photoreactive atropisomers amplified by energy migration, and the shortened distance between reactive carbons induced by the curved structure.     

A Quintuple [6]Helicene with a Corannulene Core as a C5‐Symmetric Propeller‐Shaped π‐System

The synthesis and structural analysis of a quintuple [6]helicene with a corannulene core is reported. The compound was synthesized from corannulene in three steps including a five‐fold intramolecular direct arylation. X‐ray crystallographic analysis revealed a C₅‐symmetric propeller‐shaped structure and one‐dimensional alignment in the solid state. The enantiomers of the quintuple [6]helicene were successfully separated by HPLC, and the chirality of the two fractions was identified by CD spectroscopy. A kinetic study yielded a racemization barrier of 34.2 kcal mol^?1, which is slightly lower than that of pristine [6]helicene. DFT calculations indicate a rapid bowl‐to‐bowl inversion of the corannulene moiety and a step‐by‐step chiral inversion pathway for the five [6]helicene moieties.     

Spin delocalization on curved surface π-system: Corannulene with iminonitroxide

In order to stabilize neutral radicals with curved surface π-system and to evaluate their π-spin structures, we recently reported design and synthesis of an oxoverdazyl derivative with corannulene as the first stable bowl-shaped neutral radical. Spectroscopic and theoretical studies revealed that appreciable amount of π-spin density is delocalized onto the corannulene moiety with most of the π-spin density localized on the oxoverdazyl moiety. In this study, we have designed and synthesized an iminonitroxide derivative with corannulene as a novel bowl-shaped neutral radical with a higher stability than the oxoverdazyl derivative with corannulene. ESR/ENDOR/TRIPLE spectroscopies and density functional theory calculations have shown that the π-spin delocalization onto the corannulene moiety is lower than that of the oxoverdazyl derivative with corannulene in the ground state. A degree of π-conjugation between the corannulene moiety and the iminonitroxide moiety has also been evaluated by UV–Vis measurements.     

Interaction between ions and substituted buckybowls: A comprehensive computational study

Complexes formed by substituted buckybowls derived from corannulene and sumanene with sodium cation or chloride anion have been computationally studied by using a variety of methods. Best results have been obtained with the SCS‐MP2 method extrapolated to basis set limit, which reproduces the highest‐level values obtained with the MP2.X method. All bowls form stable complexes with chloride anion, with stabilities ranging from ?6 kcal/mol in the methylated corannulene derivative to ?45 kcal/mol in the CN‐substituted sumanene. The opposite trend is observed in sodium complexes, going from deeply attractive complexes with the methylated derivatives (?36 kcal/mol with sumanene derivative) to slightly repulsive ones in the CN‐substituted bowls (2 kcal/mol in the corannulene derivative). Anion complexes are stabilized by large electrostatic interactions combined with smaller though significant dispersion and induction contributions. Conversely, cation complexes are stabilized by large induction contributions capable of holding together the bowl and the cation even in cases where the electrostatic interaction is repulsive. The effect of substitution is mainly reflected on changes in the molecular electrostatic potential of the bowl and, thus, in the electrostatic contribution to the interaction. Therefore, the variations in the stability of the complexes on substitution could be roughly predicted just considering the changes in the electrostatic interaction. However, other contributions also register changes mainly as a consequence of displacements on the position of the ion at the minimum, so the accurate prediction of the stability of this kind of complexes requires going further than the electrostatic approach. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Self-Assembly of Bowl-Shaped Naphthalimide-Annulated Corannulene

The self-assembly of a bowl-shaped naphthalimide-annulated corannulene of high solubility has been studied in a variety of solvents by NMR and UV/Vis spectroscopy. Evaluation by the anti-cooperative K₂-K model revealed the formation of supramolecular dimers of outstanding thermodynamic stability. Further structural proof for the almost exclusive formation of dimers over extended aggregates is demonstrated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and diffusion ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) measurements as well as by theoretical calculations. Thus, herein we present the first report of a supramolecular dimer of an annulated corannulene derivative in solution and discuss its extraordinarily high thermodynamic stability with association constants up to >10⁶ M⁻¹ in methylcyclohexane, which is comparable to the association constants given for planar phthalocyanine and perylene bisimide dyes.     

Synthesis of Pyrrole‐Fused Corannulenes: 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition of Azomethine Ylides to Corannulene

In the long history of corannulene chemistry, the 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition to corannulene is unprecedented. Reported herein is the 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of a polycyclic aromatic azomethine ylide to corannulene, a reaction which occurs exclusively at the rim bond of corannulene, from the convex side in an exo fashion. The cycloadducts were successfully converted, by successive oxidative dehydrogenation, into pyrrole‐fused corannulenes, which exhibited pronounced solvatofluorochromism.     

Compressed Corannulene in a Molecular Cage

Self‐assembled coordination cages can be employed as a molecular press, where the bowl‐shaped guest corannulene (C₂₀H₁₀) is significantly flattened upon inclusion within the hydrophobic cavity. This is demonstrated by the pairwise inclusion of corannulene with naphthalene diimide as well as by the dimer inclusion of bromocorannulene inside the box‐like host. The compressed corannulene structures are unambiguously revealed by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis.     

Monoreduced 1,2‐dihydrocorannulene versus the parent corannulene

The monoanion of dihydrogenated corannulene isolated in the form of its potassium salt, namely tris(diglyme‐κ³O,O′,O′′)potassium hexacyclo[11.5.2.0^4,17.0^7,16.0^10,15.0^14,18]icosa‐1,3,5,7(16),8,10(15),11,13,17‐nonaenide, [K(C₆H₁₄O₃)₃](C₂₀H₁₂), has been structurally characterized for the first time. The X‐ray study confirms the previous NMR spectroscopic prediction that the two H atoms are attached to the same six‐membered ring to form 1,2‐dihydrocorannulene, thus destroying the aromaticity of only one arene ring of the corannulene core. The direct comparison of (C₂₀H₁₂)⁻ with the parent corannulene anion, (C₂₀H₁₀)⁻, is provided to illustrate the geometry perturbations caused by rim hydrogenation.     

Functionalized Corannulene Carbocations: A Structural Overview

A detailed structural overview of a family of bowl‐shaped polycyclic aromatic carbocations of the type [C₂₀H₁₀R]⁺ with different R functionalities tethered to the interior surface of corannulene (C₂₀H₁₀) is provided. Changing the identity of the surface‐bound groups through alkyl chains spanning from one to four carbon atoms and incorporating a different degree of halogenation has led to the fine tuning of the bowl structures and properties. The deformation of the corannulene core upon functionalization has been revealed based on X‐ray crystallographic analysis and compared for the series of cations with R=CH₃, CH₂Cl, CHCl₂, CCl₃, CH₂CH₃, CH₂CH₂Cl, and CH₂CH₂Br. The resulting carbocations have been isolated with several metal‐based counterions, varying in size and coordinating abilities ([AlCl₄]^?, [AlBr₄]^?, [(SnCl)(GaCl₄)₂]^?, and [Al(OC(CF₃)₃)₄]^?). A variety of aggregation patterns in the solid state has been revealed based on different intermolecular interactions ranging from cation–anion to π–π stacking and to halogen???π interactions. For the [C₂₀H₁₀CH₂Cl]⁺ ion crystallized with several different counterions, the conformation of the R group attached to the central five‐membered ring of corannulene moiety was found to depend on the solid‐state environment defined by the identity of anions. Solution NMR and UV/Vis investigations have been used to complement the X‐ray diffraction studies for this series of corannulene‐based cations and to demonstrate their different association patterns with the solvent molecules.     

Wide‐Ranging Host Capability of a PdII‐Linked M2L4 Molecular Capsule with an Anthracene Shell

This article reports that an M₂L₄ molecular capsule is capable of encapsulating various neutral molecules in quantitative yields. The capsule was obtained as a single product by mixing a small number of components; two Pd^II ions and four bent bispyridine ligands containing two anthracene panels. Detailed studies of the host capability of the Pd^II‐linked capsule revealed that spherical (e.g., paracyclophane, adamantanes, and fullerene C₆₀), planar (e.g., pyrenes and triphenylene), and bowl‐shaped molecules (e.g., corannulene) were encapsulated in the large spherical cavity, giving rise to 1:1 and 1:2 host–guest complexes, respectively. The volume of the encapsulated guest molecules ranged from 190 to 490 ų. Within the capsule, the planar guests adopt a stacked‐dimer structure and the bowl‐shaped guests formed an unprecedented concave‐to‐concave capsular structure, which are fully shielded by the anthracene shell. Competitive binding experiments of the capsule with a set of the planar guests established a preferential binding series for pyrenes≈phenanthrene>triphenylene. Furthermore, the capsule showed the selective formation of an unusual ternary complex in the case of triphenylene and corannulene.     

Concave polyarenes with sulfide-linked flaps and tentacles: new electron-rich hosts for fullerenes

Pentakis(1,4-benzodithiino)corannulene (6) in CS2 formed the strongest 1:1 complexes with C60 and C70 of any corannulene derivative yet reported. The 1,3,5,7,9-pentakis(propylthio)corannulene (4b) formed weaker 1:1 complexes with C60 and C70 in CS2, whereas the decakis(propylthio)corannulene (5b) and unsubstituted corannulene (1) showed no evidence for complexation with either C60 or C70 in CS2.     

Adsorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and inversion barriers of curved conjugated systems inside the molecular cage ExCage6+

We investigated the hosting of planar and curved π systems by ExCage⁶⁺. The M06‐2X/6‐311G* method and including basis set superposition error (BSSE) corrections showed good agreement with the experimental free energy changes in solution. The mean absolute deviation (MAD) with respect to experiment was 1.3 kcal/mol. The M06‐2X/6‐31G* method exhibited a MAD of 2.1 kcal/mol, so it may be useful to investigate large systems. The good agreement between the M06‐2X/6‐311G*+BSSE results and the M06‐2X/6‐31G* ones was due to a fortuitous error cancelation between basis set incompleteness and BSSE. The interaction energies decreased linearly with the number of CC double bonds present in the PAH, but the shape of the PAH is an important factor in determining the binding strength. Finally, we studied how effective is ExCage⁶⁺ in reducing the inversion barriers of buckybowls. For corannulene, sumanene and dibenzo[a,g]corannulene they are reduced by 2.0, 2.7, and 2.0 kcal/mol, respectively. Although these values indicate an induced fit catalysis by ExCage⁶⁺, they are far from those values calculated inside bilayer graphene. Therefore, much work is necessary to replicate the reduction of inversion barriers observed for graphene.     

Fluorinated and Trifluoromethylated Corannulenes

The syntheses and properties of corannulenes carrying electron‐withdrawing groups (F, CF₃, C₆F₅) are reported. Direct fluorination of corannulene (C₂₀H₁₀) was carried out with xenon difluoride, and the crystal structure of the product was confirmed by the X‐ray analysis. Novel trifluoromethylated corannulenes, including the versatile 4,9‐dibromo‐1,2‐bis(trifluoromethyl)corannulene, were obtained by various established ring‐closing reactions. Besides the use of hexafluorobutyne for the construction of fluoranthenes by Diels–Alder reaction as precursor molecules to form 1,2‐disubstituted corannulenes, bis(pentafluorophenyl)acetylene was employed as dienophile. The molecular structure and crystal packing of a trifluoromethylated corannulene was determined by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis and compared with those known brominated and trifluoromethylated corannulenes. The general electron‐acceptor properties of corannulenes bearing substituents introduced in particular positions by liquid‐phase synthesis are discussed together with published computational results.     

Clamshell Opening in the Mixed‐Metal Supramolecular Aggregates Formed by Fourfold Reduced Corannulene for Maximizing Intercalated Metal Content

The first members of a new class of supramolecular organometallic compounds with mixed‐alkali‐metal cluster cores, LiK₅ and Li₃K₃, sandwiched between two four‐fold reduced corannulene decks are prepared and fully characterized. The triple‐decker supramolecular anions, [(C₂₀H₁₀^4?)(LiK₅)⁶⁺(C₂₀H₁₀^4?)]^2? and [(C₂₀H₁₀^4?)(Li₃K₃)⁶⁺(C₂₀H₁₀^4?)]^2?, illustrate a record ability of bowl‐shaped and highly charged corannulene to provide all its sites, five benzene rings fused to a central five‐membered ring, for binding of six alkali‐metal ions. The previously unseen engagement of the hub‐site of C₂₀H₁₀^4? in lithium binding is accompanied by unprecedented shifts up to ?24 ppm in ⁷Li NMR spectra. The discussion of product formation mechanism, augmented by calculations, is provided.     

Fluorous Corannulenes: Ab initio Predictions and the Synthesis of sym‐Pentafluorocorannulene

Ten sym‐penta and deca‐X substituted corannulenes (1–10; X=H, F, CH₃, or CF₃) define a library of fluorous compounds comprising high symmetry non‐planar aromatic compunds. They provide a group of structurally similar, yet physically distinct structures manifesting special chemical behavior related to their degree of fluorination. Owing to their bowl forms, corannulene derivatives are distinct from planar polynuclear aromatic compounds; they have relatively high dipole moments, accept 1–4 electrons, and display room temperature fluorescence as well as low temp phosphorescence. Electronic structure theory predicts the bowl inversion barrier and physical properties. The syntheses of sym‐pentafluorocorannulene by an efficient late stage fluorination affords a key derivative to calibrate predictions.     

A Novel Polymeric Chemosensor: Dual Colorimetric Detection of Metal Ions Through Click Synthesis

A highly colored polystyrene derivative bearing side chain chromophores composed of dialkylanilino donor and cyano‐based acceptor groups, prepared by atom‐economic click postfunctionalization, displays the dual colorimetric detection behavior of several metal ions based on the specific interactions with different nitrogen atoms. Hard to borderline metal ions, such as Fe³⁺, Fe²⁺, and Sn²⁺, are always recognized by the dialkylanilino nitrogen atom, resulting in a decrease in the charge‐transfer (CT) band intensity of the donor–acceptor chromophores. On the other hand, the recognition site of a soft metal ion of Ag⁺ is the cyano nitrogen atom due to the readily formed multivalent coordination, which produces a bathochromic shift of the CT band.     

Iridium‐Catalyzed Reductive Carbon–Carbon Bond Cleavage Reaction on a Curved Pyridylcorannulene Skeleton

The cleavage of C? C bonds in π‐conjugated systems is an important method for controlling their shape and coplanarity. An efficient way for the cleavage of an aromatic C? C bond in a typical buckybowl corannulene skeleton is reported. The reaction of 2‐pyridylcorannulene with a catalytic amount of IrCl₃?n H₂O in ethylene glycol at 250 °C resulted in a structural transformation from the curved corannulene skeleton to a strain‐free flat benzo[ghi]fluoranthene skeleton through a site‐selective C? C cleavage reaction. This cleavage reaction was found to be driven by both the coordination of the 2‐pyridyl substituent to iridium and the relief of strain in the curved corannulene skeleton. This finding should facilitate the design of carbon nanomaterials based on C? C bond cleavage reactions.     

A Nanoboat with Fused Concave N‐Heterotriangulene

The surface extension of all‐carbon based bowl‐shaped molecules, such as corannulene and sumanene, to synthesize even larger buckybowls has been widely studied, leaving other concave compounds with heteroatoms less considered. Herein we present a highly curved molecule synthesized via stepwise cyclization of fjords of a bisacridone derivative. Crystallographic analysis unambiguously confirmed a boat‐shaped structure with deformed bottom benzene ring. Theoretical calculation unravels an inversion process with an S‐shaped transition structure rather than a planar one. The enlarged boat demonstrates interesting properties, such as red shifts in absorption and emission spectra, enhanced emission intensity, and convergent frontier molecular orbital energy levels, in comparison to the related concave N‐heterotriangulene.     

A 2:1 Receptor/C60 Complex as a Nanosized Universal Joint

Buckycatcher II, a C₅₁H₂₄ hydrocarbon with two corannulene pincers on a dibenzonorbornadiene tether, exhibits an affinity toward C₆₀ in organic solvents that is dramatically higher than the original buckycatcher C₆₀H₂₈ and other corannulene‐based molecular receptors for fullerenes. In addition to the formation of an usual 1:1 C₆₀@catcher inclusion complex, a trimeric C₆₀@(catcher)₂ assembly is detected in solutions and in the solid state. X‐ray structure determination reveals a remarkable “universal joint” solvent‐free crystal arrangement of the trimer, with a single fullerene cage wrapped by four corannulene subunits of two cooperating catcher receptors.     

Dimensional Matching versus Induced‐Fit Distortions: Binding Affinities of Planar and Curved Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons with a Tetragold Metallorectangle

A tetragold(I) rectangle‐like metallocage containing two pyrene‐bis‐imidazolylidene ligands and two carbazolyl‐bis‐alkynyl linkers is used for the encapsulation of a series of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including corannulene. The binding affinities obtained for the encapsulation of the planar PAHs guests in CD₂Cl₂ are found to exponentially increase with the number of π‐electrons of the guest (1.3 > logK >6.6). For the bowl‐shaped molecule of corannulene, the association constant is much lower than the expected one according to its number of electrons. The molecular structure of the host–guest complex formed with corannulene shows that the molecule of the guest is compressed, while the host is expanded, thus showing an interesting case of artificial mutual induced‐fit arrangement.