Synthesis of a triply-bridged molecular gyroscope by a directed meridional cyclization strategy

A crystalline triply bridged molecular gyroscope has been prepared and analyzed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. A convergent synthetic strategy was developed to control the direction of the three bridges, from the preferred two zonal and one meridional arrangement of a one-step cylclization process to the directed three meridional bridges achieved by a north-south desymmetrization.