CAAC-Based Thiele and Schlenk Hydrocarbons

Diradicals have been of tremendous interest for over a century ever since the first reports of p- and m-phenylene-bridged diphenylmethylradicals in 1904 by Thiele and 1915 by Schlenk. Reported here are the first examples of cyclic(alkyl)(amino)carbene (CAAC) analogues of Thiele's hydrocarbon, a Kekulé diradical, and Schlenk's hydrocarbon, a non-Kekulé diradical, without using CAAC as a precursor. The CAAC analogue of Thiele's hydrocarbon has a singlet ground state, whereas the CAAC analogue of Schlenk's hydrocarbon contains two unpaired electrons. The latter forms a dimer, by an intermolecular double head-to-tail dimerization. This straightforward synthetic methodology is modular and can be extended for the generation of redox-active organic compounds.     

Structural and Magnetic Properties of 2p‐3d‐4f Hetero‐Tri‐Spin Chains Comprising [{Cu(hfac)2‐Radical}2] Dimers and Ln(hfac)3 (hfac=hexafluoroacetylacetonate)

A new family of 2p‐3d‐4f hetero‐tri‐spin complexes [Ln(hfac)₃{Cu(hfac)₂(NIT‐3 PyPh)}₂] (Ln=Gd ( 1 ), Tb ( 2 ), Dy ( 3 ), Ho ( 4 ); NIT‐3 PyPh=2‐[4‐(3‐pyridinylmethoxy)phenyl]‐4,4,5,5‐tetramethylimidazoline‐1‐oxyl‐3‐oxide; hfac=hexafluoroacetylacetonate) have been synthesized. Four complexes possess a 1D chain structure in which two radical ligands join two Cu(hfac)₂ molecules to form a [{Cu(hfac)₂‐rad)}₂] dimer cycle and the dimer rings are linked by Ln(hfac)₃ units. Magnetic studies show that ferromagnetic exchange couplings exist between the coordinated NO groups of radical ligands and metal ions. Field‐induced slow relaxation of the magnetization was observed in the Tb and Dy compounds.     

A Triphenylamine with Two Phenoxy Radicals Having Unusual Bonding Patterns and a Closed‐Shell Electronic State

Reported herein is the structure and the electronic properties of a novel triphenylamine derivative having two phenoxy radicals appended to the amino nitrogen atom. X‐ray single crystal analysis and the magnetic resonance measurements demonstrates the unexpected closed‐shell electronic structure, even at room temperature, of the molecule and two unusual C? N bonds with multiple‐bond character. The theoretical calculations support the experimentally determined molecular geometry with the closed‐shell electronic structure, and predicted a small HOMO–LUMO gap originating from the nonbonding character of the HOMO. The optical and electrochemical measurements show that the molecule has a remarkably small HOMO–LUMO gap compared with its triphenylamine precursor.     

Z‐Shaped Pentaleno‐Acene Dimers with High Stability and Small Band Gap

Acene‐based materials have promising applications for organic electronics but the major constrain comes from their poor stability. Herein a new strategy to stabilize reactive acenes, by fusion of an anti‐aromatic pentalene unit onto the zigzag edges of two acene units to form a Z‐shaped acene dimer, is introduced. The Z‐shaped acene dimers are extremely stable and show a small energy gap resulting from intramolecular donor–acceptor interactions. X‐ray crystallographic analysis revealed their unique geometry and one‐dimensional slip‐stack columnar structure. Besides optical and electrochemical characterizations, solution‐processed field‐effect transistors were also fabricated.     

Oxidation,Coordination, and Nickel‐Mediated Deconstruction of a Highly Electron‐Rich Diboron Analogue of 1,3,5‐Hexatriene

The reductive coupling of an N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) stabilized (dibromo)vinylborane yields a 1,2‐divinyldiborene, which, although isoelectronic to a 1,3,5‐triene, displays no extended π conjugation because of twisting of the C₂B₂C₂ chain. While this divinyldiborene coordinates to copper(I) and platinum(0) in an η²‐B₂ and η⁴‐C₂B₂ fashion, respectively, it undergoes a complex rearrangement to an η⁴‐1,3‐diborete upon complexation with nickel(0).     

Observation of a Metastable P‐Heterocyclic Radical by Muonium Addition to a 1,3‐Diphosphacyclobutane‐2,4‐diyl

A 1,3‐diphosphacyclobutane‐2,4‐diyl contains a unique unsaturated cyclic unit, and the presence of radical‐type centers have been expected as a source of functionality. This study demonstrates that the P‐heterocyclic singlet biradical captures muonium (Mu=[μ⁺e^?]), the light isotope of a hydrogen radical, to generate an observable P‐heterocyclic paramagnetic species. Investigation of a powder sample of 2,4‐bis(2,4,6‐tri‐t‐butylphenyl)‐1‐t‐butyl‐3‐benzyl‐1,3‐diphosphacyclobutane‐2,4‐diyl using muon (avoided) level‐crossing resonance (μLCR) spectroscopy revealed that muonium adds to the cyclic P₂C₂ unit. The muon hyperfine coupling constant (A_μ) indicated that the phosphorus atom bearing the t‐butyl group trapped muonium to provide a metastable P‐heterocyclic radical involving the ylidic MuP(<)=C moiety. The observed regioselective muonium addition correlates the canonical formula of 1,3‐diphosphacyclobutane‐2,4‐diyl.     

Preparation and Characterization of Alkenyl Aryl Tetrafluoro‐λ6‐sulfanes

Substituted alkenyl aryl tetrafluoro‐λ⁶‐sulfanes have been prepared by the direct addition of readily accessible chlorotetrafluorosulfanyl arenes to primary alkynes. Substitution of an apical fluorine of the pentafluorosulfanyl group enables modulation of the reactivity of this little explored functional group while at the same time facilitating the direct investigation of aryl substituent effects on the aryl tetrafluorosulfanyl‐substituted products.     

Synthesis of 7,8‐Dehydropurpurin Dimers and Their Conversion into Conformationally Constrained β‐to‐β Vinylene‐Bridged Porphyrin Dimers

7,8‐Dehydropurpurin has attracted much attention owing to the dual 18π‐ and 20π‐electron circuits in its macrocyclic conjugation. The two‐fold Pd‐catalyzed [3+2] annulation of meso‐bromoporphyrin with 1,4‐diphenylbutadiyne furnished 7,8‐dehydropurpurin dimers. The 8^a,8^a‐linked dimer displays a red‐shifted and enhanced absorption band in the NIR region and a small electrochemical HOMO–LUMO band gap as a consequence of efficient conjugation between the two coplanar 7,8‐dehydropurpurin units. Treatment of this dimer with N‐bromosuccinimide in chloroform and ethanol gave β‐to‐β vinylene‐bridged porphyrin dimers. Owing to the highly constrained conformations, these dimers exhibit perturbed absorption spectra, small Stokes shifts, and high fluorescence quantum yields.     

Cross‐Coupling Reactions between Stable Carbenes

By utilizing stable carbenes with low‐lying LUMOs, coupling with the stable nucleophilic diaminocyclopropenylidene was achieved. This reaction resulted in the formation of two new and rare examples of a bent allene as well as the isolation of the first carbene–carbene heterodimer.     

N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Analogues of Thiele and Chichibabin Hydrocarbons

Stable N‐heterocyclic carbene analogues of Thiele and Chichibabin hydrocarbons, [(IPr)(C₆H₄)(IPr)] and [(IPr)(C₆H₄)₂(IPr)] ( 4 and 5 , respectively; IPr=C{N(2,6‐iPr₂C₆H₃)}₂CHCH), are reported. In a nickel‐catalyzed double carbenylation of 1,4‐Br₂C₆H₄ and 4,4′‐Br₂(C₆H₄)₂ with IPr ( 1 ), [(IPr)(C₆H₄)(IPr)](Br)₂ ( 2 ) and [(IPr)(C₆H₄)₂(IPr)](Br)₂ ( 3 ) were generated, which respectively afforded 4 and 5 as crystalline solids upon reduction with KC₈. Experimental and computational studies support the semiquinoidal nature of 5 with a small singlet?triplet energy gap ΔE_S?T of 10.7 kcal mol^?1, whereas 4 features more quinoidal character with a rather large ΔE_S?T of 25.6 kcal mol^?1. In view of the low ΔE_S?T, 4 and 5 may be described as biradicaloids. Moreover, 5 has considerable (41 %) diradical character.     

Tuning the Electronic Nature of Mono‐Bay Alkynyl–Phenyl‐Substituted Perylene Bisimides: Synthesis,Structure, and Photophysical Properties

Perylene bisimide (PBI) derivatives with various alkynyl–phenyl substituents at a single bay position have been synthesised by Sonogashira coupling. NMR spectroscopic studies reveal the unsymmetric nature of the dyads. All of the dyads undergo two reversible reductions, which demonstrates their structural and electrochemical rigidity. The synthesised dyads show a remarkable redshift in their absorption maxima and sharp vibronic progression. Electron‐rich substituents facilitate efficient charge transfer from the substituent HOMO to the electron‐deficient PBI core. The most interesting spectral signatures were exhibited by a PBI with a strongly electron‐donating ethynyl(dimethylaminophenyl) substituent. The steady‐state features of this PBI showed a broad absorption that covered almost the whole visible region with no emission. A twisted intramolecular charge‐transfer (TICT) process, related to the rotational motion of ethynyl(dimethylaminophenyl) PBI, was also demonstrated. Computational investigations shed light on the coplanarity of the various substituents with respect to the PBI core; the PBI core itself remains flat without any noticeable deformation even after mono‐functionalisation. This illustrates that mono‐functionalisation exerts meagre steric hindrance on the bay positions relative to disubstituted analogues. Despite several previous reports on the structural characterisation of 1,7‐disubstituted PBI derivatives, we present the first structural characterisation of a mono‐bay ethynyl‐phenyl substituted PBI. The solid‐state structure of the phenyl derivative has a flat PBI core without any noticeable steric constraints from the substituents, as predicted. In contrast, single‐crystal X‐ray analysis for the mono‐bromo bay‐substituted PBI shows that the bromine substituent is not in the plane of the PBI core.     

The Unanticipated Dimerization of Ce@C2v(9)‐C82 upon Co‐crystallization with Ni(octaethylporphyrin) and Comparison with Monomeric M@C2v(9)‐C82 (M = La,Sc, and Y)

We report that Ce@C_2v(9)‐C₈₂ forms a centrosymmetric dimer when co‐crystallized with Ni(OEP) (OEP = octaethylporphyrin dianion). The crystal structure of {Ce@C_2v(9)‐C₈₂}₂?2[Ni(OEP)]?4 C₆H₆ shows that a new C?C bond with a bond length of 1.605(5) Å connects the two cages. The high spin density of the singly occupied molecular orbital (SOMO) on the cage and the pyramidalization of the cage are factors that favor dimerization. In contrast, the treatment of Ni(OEP) with M@C_2v(9)‐C₈₂ (M = La, Sc, and Y) results in crystallization of monomeric endohedral fullerenes. A systematic comparison of the X‐ray structures of M@C_2v(9)‐C₈₂ (M = Sc, Y, La, Ce, Gd, Yb, and Sm) reveals that the major metal site in each case is located at an off‐center position adjacent to a hexagonal ring along the C₂ axis of the C_2v(9)‐C₈₂ cage. DFT calculations at the M06‐2X level revealed that the positions of the metal centers in these metallofullerenes M@C_2v(9)‐C₈₂ (M = Sc, Y, and Ce), as determined by single‐crystal X‐ray structure studies, correspond to an energy minimum for each compound.     

Graphene‐like Molecules with Four Zigzag Edges

An efficient synthetic method toward graphene‐like molecules (GLMs), having four zigzag edges, is described. They were obtained as stable materials and their structures were confirmed by X‐ray crystallographic analysis. They exhibit topology‐ and size‐dependent electronic properties and global aromaticity, which are all different from GLMs having either all‐armchair edges, or three zigzag edges, or two armchair/two zigzag edges. They can be reversibly oxidized and reduced into stable charged species, which show fragmental aromatic character to minimize anti‐aromaticity. Our studies give some new insights into the electronic structures and properties of a new type of rarely studied GLMs.     

Persistent Antimony‐ and Bismuth‐Centered Radicals in Solution

Stibinyl and bismuthinyl radicals are recognized as representative intermediates of antimony and bismuth compounds, but still elusive in the condensed phase. We successfully synthesized persistent stibinyl and bismuthinyl radicals in solution by facile dissociation of the corresponding dimers with bulky substituents. We characterized the radicals by NMR and UV/Vis spectroscopy and estimated the thermodynamic parameters for the dissociation equilibria. The radicals show n→p (HOMO→SOMO) transition bands at 497 nm (stibinyl) and 543 nm (bismuthinyl) in 3‐methylpentane and react with a stable nitroxyl radical to give the cross‐radical coupling products in good yields.     

Synthese und Kristallstruktur des Dichlor‐Adduktes von 2, 3‐Dihydro‐1, 3‐diisopropyl‐4, 5‐dimethylimidazol‐2‐yliden [1]

Synthesis and Crystal Structure of the Dichlorine Adduct of 2, 3‐Dihydro‐1, 3‐diisopropyl‐4, 5‐dimethylimidazol‐2‐ylidene [1] 2, 3‐Dihydro‐1, 3‐diispropyl‐4, 5‐dimethylimidazol‐2‐ylidene ( 1 , Im) reacts with hexachloroethane to give the charge‐transfer adduct Im‐Cl‐Cl ( 2 ) in almost quantitative yield. The crystal structure of 2 reveals the presence of a near linear C‐Cl‐Cl fragment [Cl‐Cl 3.159(3)Å, C‐Cl‐Cl 166.1(1)°] which is discussed as weak chlorine interaction causing hypervalency at the central chlorine atom.     

Synthese und Eigenschaften von [Ph2(Carb)P]AlCl4 (Carb = 2,3‐Dihydro‐1,3‐diisopropyl‐4,5‐dimethylimidazol‐2‐yliden) – ein stabiler Carben‐Komplex des dreiwertigen Phosphors [1]

Synthesis and Properties of [Ph₂(Carb)P]AlCl₄ (Carb = 2,3‐Dihydro‐1,3‐diisopropyl‐4,5‐dimethylimidazol‐2‐ylidene) – a Stable Carbene Complex of Trivalent Phosphorus [1] 2,3‐Dihydro‐1,3‐diisopropyl‐4,5‐dimethylimidazol‐2‐ylidene ( 7 , Carb) reacts with chlorodiphenylphosphane to give the cationic phosphane [Ph₂(Carb)P]Cl ( 10 ) which is transferred to the more stable salt [Ph₂(Carb)]AlCl₄ ( 13 ) on treatment with AlCl₃. The cationic phosphane selenide [Ph₂(Carb)PSe]AlCl₄ ( 14 ) is obtained from 13 and selenium. Spectroscopic and structural data indicate [Ph₂(Carb)P]⁺ to be a cationic analogue of Ph₃P. The X‐ray structure of 13 is reported.     

Synthesis,Properties and Formation of (RCp)Co‐ and (RCp)Rh‐Stabilized[4.8]3Cyclacene Derivatives

Metal‐stabilized belts : A torus, 3 , consisting of three four‐ and three eight‐membered conjugated rings and stabilized by (RCp)Co‐ and (RCp)Rh‐ units, was generated by irradiation of [(RCp)Co(CO)₂] and [(RCp)Rh(C₂H₄)₂], respectively, and 1 .

     

Toward Two‐Dimensional π‐Conjugated Covalent Organic Radical Frameworks

Reported is the synthesis, characterization, and material properties of the first π‐conjugated two‐dimensional covalent organic radical framework (CORF), PTM‐CORF , based on the stable polychlorotriphenylmethyl (PTM) radical. The covalent organic framework (COF) precursor ( PTM‐H‐COF ) was first synthesized by liquid/liquid interfacial acetylenic homocoupling of a triethynylpolychlorotriphenylmethane monomer, and showed crystalline features with a hexagonal diffraction pattern matching that of A‐B‐C stacking. Subsequent deprotonation and oxidation of the PTM units in PTM‐H‐COF gave PTM‐CORF . Magnetic measurements revealed that the neighboring PTM radicals in the PTM‐CORF are anti‐ferromagnetically coupled each other, with a moderate exchange interaction (J=?375 cm^?1). The PTM‐CORF has a small energy gap (ca. 0.88 eV) and a low‐lying LUMO energy level (?4.72 eV), and exhibits high electrocatalytic activity and durability toward the oxygen reduction reaction.