Synthetic Approaches toward Molecular and Polymeric Carbon Allotropes

Life on earth is based on compounds that have carbon frames and backbones. Today, chemists have added to the world of biomolecules and biopolymers approximately 10⁷ different synthetic molecules and polymers, the structures of which also depend on the formation of strong, stable carbon–carbon bonds. Although the stability of carbon–carbon bonds has been recognized for more than a century, the two natural modifications graphite and diamond were, until recently, the only allotropic forms of carbon on earth that were available in macroscopic quantities and were structurally well characterized. With the synthesis of macroscopic quantities of buckminsterfullerene (C₆₀) and the higher fullerenes (C₇₀, C₇₆, C₇₈, etc.) and the exploration of the fascinating properties of these all-carbon spheres, this situation has completely changed. In the coming decades, the design, preparation, and study of novel molecular and polymeric allotropic forms of carbon will be a central topic in chemistry. Research in this area will dramatically advance the fundamental knowledge on carbon-based matter and, as already illustrated by the ongoing work on C₆₀, generate unprecedented technological perspectives. This review surveys synthetic organic-chemical approaches toward the preparation and study of all-carbon molecules and polymers that differ from the familiar networks of graphite and diamond as well as from the fullerenes. We will also discuss the ongoing research on fullerenes with a particular focus on the synthetic approaches to these all-carbon spheres and their transition metal complexes.     

Preparation of 6‐, 7‐, and 8‐substituted derivatives of 2‐Oxa‐1,3,4,10‐tetraazacyclopenta[b]fluoren‐9‐one

The preparation of a variety of derivatives of 2‐oxa‐1,3,4,10‐tetraazacyclopenta[b]fluoren‐9‐one 1 is described. A series of substituted indan‐1‐ones were prepared and oxidized with N‐bromosuccinimide and dimethyl sulfoxide to the corresponding ninhydrin derivatives. Cyclization of the ninhydrins with furazan‐3,4‐diamine yielded the target tetracycles. Appropiate choice of substituents in ninhydrins led to a preference for one regioisomer in the target tetracycles. This permitted the synthesis of a variety of 8‐substituted hetero‐cycles. In those instances where isomer formation was possible, structural assignments were confirmed by X‐ray crystallography.     

Tetraethynylethenes: Fully cross-conjugated π-electron chromophores and molecular scaffolds for all-carbon networks and carbon-rich nanomaterials

The preparation of tetraethynylethene (3,4-diethynylhex-3-ene-1,5-diyne) 1 as well as of a great diversity of differentially mono-, di-, and triprotected derivatives by newly developed synthetic routes is described. These fully cross-conjugated molecules are versatile building blocks and precursors to two-dimensional all-C networks and novel C-rich nanoarchitecture with unusual structural and electronic properties, such as perethynylated expanded radialenes, or molecular wires and polymers with the novel polytriacetylene backbone. A key step in all of these routes was the Corey-Fuchs dibromoolefination of aldehydes and ketones. Dibromoolefination of silyl-protected penta-1,4-diyn-3-ones yielded the corresponding dibromomethylidene derivatives which, by twofold Pd-catalyzed alkyne coupling, were transformed into tetraethynylethene derivatives. In routes to tetraethynylethenes with free cis-or trans-enediyne moieties, dibromoolefination of aldehyde groups produced geminal dibromoethenes which, upon elimination/metallation with LDA followed by quenching with H⁺ or other electrophiles, yielded free or substituted ethynyl groups in high yields. Tetra- and triprotected tetraethynylethenes are rather stable compounds that could be isolated in pure form, whereas derivatives with two or more free ?C? H termini were only stable in dilute solution and polymerized rapidly in pure form. A trans-bis(triisopropylsilyl)-protected derivative represented an exception and could be isolated as stable crystals. X-Ray analysis revealed that the two bulky (i-Pr)₃Si groups isolate the reactive chromophores from one another in the crystal and prevent intermolecular reactions. The structures of several tetraethynylethenes were revealed in high-quality X-ray crystal structures.     

Mono N,C,N-pincer complexes of titanium, vanadium and niobium. Synthesis, structure and catalytic activity in olefin polymerisation

Transmetallation of 4,4'-bis{(2,6-bis[(dimethylamino)methyl]phenylgold)diphenyl-phosphino}biphenyl (3) with MCl(4) (M = Ti, NbCl, V) in benzene gave the corresponding transition metal pincer complexes (4) and insoluble 4,4'-bis[P-(chloro gold(I))diphenylphosphino]biphenyl (2), which can be quantitatively recovered and recycled. Interestingly, 3 did not react with TiCl(3). However, reaction of 2,6-bis[(dimethylamino)methyl]phenyllithium (1) with TiCl(3) resulted in formation of the novel diaryltitanium(IV) compound 5 (16% yield), comprising one N,C,N-mer bound NCN-pincer ligand and a second NCN-pincer ligand that is rearranged from a 1,2,6-isomer to a 1,2,4 one. The latter NCN-ligand is dianionic and is bidentate bonded; one of the CH(2)NMe(2) substituents (para to C'(ipso)) is non-coordinated, while the second CH(2)NMe(2) group, after C-H activation of one of the Me groups, is η(2)-C,N-bonded to the titanium centre trans to C(ipso) of the mer-NCN ligand. The new NCN-pincer metal complexes 2,6-bis[(dimethylamino)methyl]phenylTiCl(3) (4a) and 2,6-bis[(dimethylamino)methyl]-phenylVCl(2) (4d) gave, after immobilization on MgCl(2)-based supports, very high activity in ethene polymerisation.     

Extension and reconstruction theorems for the Urysohn universal metric space

We prove some extension theorems involving uniformly continuous maps of the universal Urysohn space. As an application, we prove reconstruction theorems for certain groups of autohomeomorphisms of this space and of its open subsets.