Scholl reaction of hexaphenylbenzenes with hexakis-alkoxy substituents

The hexakis-alkoxy substituted hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene (HBC) discotic core is desirable aiming at strong π–π interactions in columns, electronic tuning of the core and better processability. The feasibility of synthesising a new hexakis-alkoxy substituted HBC core is investigated and described in this report. Experimentally, it has been found that when two alkoxy substituents in a peripheral aromatic ring are placed meta to each other, the Scholl reaction results in fully cyclised HBC product. Surprisingly, when the alkoxy groups are ortho to each other, cyclodehydrogenation results in the formation of a partially fused product. This partially-fused ring formation happens under varying reaction conditions and irrespective of the differing alkyl chain lengths. Most plausibly, the considerable strain in the fully fused molecule from 1,2 isomer is the reason to cease the reaction at the partially fused stage. Further quantum-mechanical calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory also support the hypothesis. The incorporation of two electron donating groups has also reduced the band gap compared to its mono alkoxy analogue. Reduced band gap values are promising feature of these molecules for finding future applications of discotic liquid crystals in organic electronics.     

Twisted Polycyclic Arenes from Tetranaphthyldiphenylbenzenes by Controlling the Scholl Reaction with Substituents

Herein, we report two new types of twisted polycyclic arenes ( 2 a , b and 3 a , b ) with constitutionally isomeric π‐backbones, which are synthesized by controlling the Scholl reaction of 1,2,4,5‐tetra(naphth‐2‐yl)‐3,6‐diphenylbenzene ( 1 ) with properly positioned electron‐donating substituents. With a polycyclic backbone containing two [5]helicene and four [4]helicene moieties, 2 a and b are new members of multiple helicenes with interesting stereochemistries. The as‐synthesized 2 a and b are the twisted isomers, and thermal isomerization of twisted‐ 2 b results in anti‐ 2 b , a more stable stereoisomer. Both twisted‐ and anti‐ 2 b have been fully characterized, and the thermal isomerization of twisted‐ 2 b has been studied with ¹H NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations. Compounds 3 a and b are new members of twistacenes, the benzannulated pentacene backbone of which exhibits an end‐to‐end twist as found from the crystal structure. Twisted‐ and anti‐ 2 b are also found to function as p‐type semiconductors in solution‐processed thin film transistors, whereas the thin films of 3 b appear insulating presumably due to the lack of π–π interactions.     

Investigation of the mechanism of the intramolecular Scholl reaction of contiguous phenylbenzenes

Two mechanisms of the Scholl reaction were investigated in the series 1, 2, ..., n-oligophenylbenzenes (n = 2, 3, 4, 6) at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory. A mechanism involving generation of a radical cation followed by C-C bond formation and dehydrogenation is unlikely on the basis of unfavorable energies of activation. A mechanism involving generation of an arenium cation followed by C-C bond formation and dehydrogenation is energetically feasible. An explanation for the facile polycondensation of hexaphenylbenzene to hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene, where six new aryl-aryl bonds are formed, is provided. Kinetic simulations based on the calculated activation energies of the arenium cation mechanism predict that intermediates will not accumulate; this is supported by mass balance experiments. Reaction optimization studies suggest that PhI(O2CCF3)2/BF3.OEt2 or MoCl5 are superior to FeCl3 or AlCl3/CuCl2. This is a full account of our work reported partially as a communication previously (Rempala, P.; Kroulík, J.; King, B. T. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 15002-15003).     

A slippery slope: mechanistic analysis of the intramolecular Scholl reaction of hexaphenylbenzene

DFT calculations support an arenium cation-based mechanism for the Scholl reaction converting hexaphenylbenzene to hexa-peri-benzocoronene. The curve connecting fully benzenoid intermediates on the potential energy diagram is convex. This "slippery slope" provides an explanation for the ease of this cascade Scholl reaction. The calculated reaction coordinate predicts that intermediates will not accumulate; this prediction is verified by experiment.     

Peripherally fused porphyrins via the Scholl reaction: synthesis, self-assembly, and mesomorphism

Oxidative coupling of activated aryl groups attached to β-positions of the porphyrin ring provides convenient access to derivatives containing peripherally fused phenanthrene and benzo[g]chrysene units. Tetra(benzochryseno)porphyrin, reported here for the first time, contains a nonplanar, sterically locked π system and shows very intense electronic absorptions in the Q range of the electronic spectrum. Tetraphenanthroporphyrins show a tendency to aggregate in solution. In one case, a discrete dimer is formed, whose structure was investigated spectroscopically and theoretically. Derivatives bearing long alkyl chains are mesomorphic and exhibit columnar phases (tetraphenanthroporphyrins) and a monoclinic 3D phase (tetrabenzochrysenoporphyrin). The symmetry of column packing in the columnar phases is dependent on the number of alkyl chains per molecule. X-ray diffraction measurements show that, in spite of their nonplanarity, the aromatic cores in the mesophases are tightly stacked within the column. The corresponding stacking patterns were derived from the structure of the dimer, on the basis of geometrical analysis and molecular modeling.     

Merging tribenzotriquinacene with hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene: a cycloheptatriene unit generated by Scholl reaction

The single-wing extension of the bowl-shaped tribenzotriquinacene (TBTQ) framework with polycondensed aromatic hydrocarbon units has been reported. In the course of a Scholl reaction, one of the three-dimensional bays of the TBTQ core has been bridged by a PAH unit to generate a seven-membered ring within the merged TBTQ-(hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene) scaffold.     

Unexpected phenyl group rearrangement during an intramolecular Scholl reaction leading to an alkoxy-substituted hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene

A simple dimethoxy-substituted hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene (m-dimethoxy HBC) was unexpectedly obtained along with a bis-spirocyclic dienone during an intramolecular Scholl reaction of its para isomer.     

Rearrangements in Scholl Reaction

Rearrangements in Scholl reaction are mostly serendipitous. The design of molecular precursors is what seems to guide the course of rearrangement. This review consolidates different classes of precursors used in Scholl reaction and their accompanying rearrangements that include aryl migration, migration followed by cyclization and skeletal rearrangements involving ring expansion, ring contraction and both, under the reaction conditions. The attempt in collating heretofore-reported examples in this review is to guide designing appropriate precursors to predictably achieve complex molecular structures or nanographenes or defect-nanographenes via rearrangement.     

Semi-fused hexaphenyl hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene: a novel fluorophore from an intramolecular Scholl reaction

A semi-fused hexaphenyl hexabenzocoronene derivative (hexaphenyl-1/2HBC) was discovered and isolated from an intramolecular Scholl reaction of an oligo(ethyleneglycol) substituted hexabiphenylbenzene. This new derivative exhibits blue-shifted λ_em and significantly enhanced fluorescence in dichloromethane compared to the completely cyclized hexaphenyl-HBC derivative.     

First synthesis of new polycyclic systems from ortho-di(heteroaryl)-substituted furazanopyrazine derivatives by the Scholl reaction

A facile synthetic protocol to hard-to-get polycyclic (hetero)-aromatic compounds annulated to [1,2,4]oxadiazolo[3,4-b]-pyrazine scaffold via the FeCl₃-mediated intramolecular Scholl cross-coupling has been developed. Based on the electrochemical and photophysical measurements, the synthesized polycyclic systems may be regarded as narrow band-gap (from 1.42 to 1.89 eV) n-type organic semiconductors whose energy levels are comparable to those of the commercially available n-type semiconductors     

Comparison of Oxidative Aromatic Coupling and the Scholl Reaction

Does the dehydrogenative coupling of aromatic compounds mediated by AlCl₃ at high temperatures and also by FeCl₃, MoCl₅, PIFA, or K₃[Fe(CN)₆] at room temperature proceed by the same mechanism in all cases? With the growing importance of the synthesis of aromatic compounds by double C? H activation to give various biaryl structures, this question becomes pressing. Since some of these reactions proceed only in the presence of non‐oxidizing Lewis acids and some only in the presence of certain oxidants, the authors venture the hypothesis that, depending on the electronic structure of the substrates and the nature of the “catalyst”, two different mechanisms can operate. One involves the intermediacy of a radical cation and the other the formation of a sigma complex between the acid and the substrate. The goal of this Review is to encourage further mechanistic studies hopefully leading to an in‐depth understanding of this phenomenon.     

Understanding the regioselectivity in Scholl reactions for the synthesis of oligoarenes

A short reaction sequence leads to oligoarene derivatives utilising a regioselective Scholl reaction for the unprecedented cyclisation to the mono-functionalised oligoarene under methanol elimination. Quantum-chemical investigations reveal the reason for the remarkably high regioselectivity.     

Rearrangements in the Scholl oxidation: implications for molecular architectures

Rearrangements readily occur in Scholl oxidations and interfere with the construction of certain molecular architectures. 3,3?,4,4′,4″,4?,5′,5″-Octamethoxy-1,1′,2′,1″,2″,1?-quaterphenyl and 3,3?,4,4′,4′′,4?,5′,5′-octamethyl-1,1′,2′,1″,2″,1?-quaterphenyl, which were conceived as precursors to benzenoid strips, rearranged under Scholl conditions to the unexpected C_2v-substituted products 1,2,5,6,9,10,12,13-octamethoxydibenzo[fg,op]naphthacene and 1,2,5,6,9,10,12,13-octamethyldibenzo[fg,op]naphthacene. This corrects a widely propagated error in the literature in which the assignments of 1,2,5,6,9,10,12,13-octamethoxydibenzo[fg,op]naphthacene (C_2v) and 1,2,5,6,8,9,12,13-octamethoxydibenzo[fg,op] naphthacene (C_2h) are crossed. A mechanism involving the migration of an aryl ring on an arenium cation intermediate is proposed.     

Controlling the chiral inversion reaction of the metallopeptide ni-asparagine-cysteine-cysteine with dioxygen

Synthetically generated metallopeptides have the potential to serve a variety of roles in biotechnology applications, but the use of such systems is often hampered by the inability to control secondary reactions. We have previously reported that the Ni(II) complex of the tripeptide lll-asparagine-cysteine-cysteine, lll-Ni(II)-NCC, undergoes metal-facilitated chiral inversion to dld-Ni(II)-NCC, which increases the observed superoxide scavenging activity. However, the mechanism for this process remained unexplored. Electronic absorption and circular dichroism studies of the chiral inversion reaction of Ni(II)-NCC reveal a unique dependence on dioxygen. Specifically, in the absence of dioxygen, the chiral inversion is not observed, even at elevated pH, whereas the addition of O(2) initiates this reactivity and concomitantly generates superoxide. Scavenging experiments using acetaldehyde are indicative of the formation of carbanion intermediates, demonstrating that inversion takes place by deprotonation of the alpha carbons of Asn1 and Cys3. Together, these data are consistent with the chiral inversion being dependent on the formation of a Ni(III)-NCC intermediate from Ni(II)-NCC and O(2). The data further suggest that the anionic thiolate and amide ligands in Ni(II)-NCC inhibit Cα-H deprotonation for the Ni(II) oxidation state, leading to a stable complex in the absence of O(2). Together, these results offer insights into the factors controlling reactivity in synthetic metallopeptides.     

Controlling a recognition-mediated reaction using a pH switch

The selective recognition-mediated reaction between a nitrone bearing a urea recognition site and a maleimide bearing a proton switchable recognition site can be turned 'on' and 'off' by the addition of base and acid respectively.     

Highly twisted arenes by Scholl cyclizations with unexpected regioselectivity

Let's twist! The Scholl reaction with quinquephenyl derivatives has been shown to have an unexpectedly strong preference for forming twisted, helicene aromatic polycycles, instead of their flat counterparts. This tendency is so strong that it will overcome even severe steric hindrance, and the procedure can be used in the efficient synthesis of hexa-tert-butylhexabenzotriphenylene from a simple biaryl starting material (see scheme).     

Controlling the outcome of an N-alkylation reaction by using N-oxide functional groups

Covalent modifiers of proteins are of importance in chemical proteomics, an emerging chemical technology used to assign protein function. In this study, high-field (1)H NMR techniques were used to analyze the reaction of the bioactive compound, 2,3-bis(bromomethyl)quinoxaline 1,4-dioxide, with amines (a model system for proteins containing nitrogen-based nucleophiles). Unexpectedly, the results show that a double nucleophilic substitution reaction involving 2 equiv of the amine is preferred to an intramolecular cyclization pathway. A direct comparison with the reaction carried out on a substrate lacking the N-oxide functional groups is also provided. X-ray crystal structures and computational studies are used to rationalize the observed differences in reactivity between the two systems.     

Formation of Azulene-Embedded Nanographene: Naphthalene to Azulene Rearrangement During the Scholl Reaction

Incorporation of a non-hexagonal ring into a nanographene framework can lead to new electronic properties. During the attempted synthesis of naphthalene-bridged double [6]helicene and heptagon-containing nanographene by the Scholl reaction, an unexpected azulene-embedded nanographene and its triflyloxylated product were obtained, as confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis and 2D NMR spectroscopy. A 5/7/7/5 ring-fused substructure containing two formal azulene units is formed, but only one of them shows an azulene-like electronic structure. The formation of this unique structure is explained by arenium ion mediated 1,2-phenyl migration and a naphthalene to azulene rearrangement reaction according to an in-silico study. This report represents the first experimental example of the thermodynamically unfavorable naphthalene to azulene rearrangement and may lead to new azulene-based molecular materials.     

Controlling dimensions of polymerized micelles: micelle template versus reaction conditions

The polymerization of elongated micellar structures offers a novel approach to the production of high aspect ratio, water-soluble amphiphilic nanoparticles. Three different surfactants were synthesized consisting of a cationic surfactant of the form (C(X)H(2X+1))trimethylammonium (where X = 14, 16, or 18) and a vinyl-containing counterion, 4-vinylbenzoate. The resulting polymer-surfactant aggregates have been polymerized to produce high aspect ratio nanoparticles which are insensitive to changes in solution conditions. The radius of the initial template is maintained on polymerization, whereas the template length is not. The aggregate radius is varied by changing the length of the surfactant tail, in this case producing aggregates with radii of 1.7, 2.0, or 2.4 nm. Variation of the initiator decomposition half-life, by means of using different initiators and varying temperature, is used to control the aggregate length between 80 and 500 nm. Through the process discussed here, both the radius and length of the aggregates are controlled independently.