Palladium‐Catalyzed Annulation of 9‐Halophenanthrenes with Alkynes: Synthesis,Structural Analysis,and Properties of Acephenanthrylene‐Based Derivatives

The palladium‐catalyzed annulation of 9‐bromo‐ and 9‐chlorophenanthrenes with alkynes gave 4,5‐disubstituted acephenanthrylenes in yields of 58–95 % (9 examples). Asymmetric alkynes, such as 1‐phenyl‐1‐propyne, 1‐phenyl‐1‐hexyne, and 1‐cyclopropyl‐2‐phenylethyne, regioselectively form (cyclo)alkyl‐substituted products, following the regular rule that governs the carbopalladation of alkynes. This synthetic protocol can also be utilized in annulations with several π‐extended bromoarenes, such as 7‐bromo[5]helicene, 5‐bromo[4]helicene, 9‐bromoanthracene, 3‐bromoperylene, and 3‐bromofluoranthene, to give the corresponding annulated products in moderate to good yields (51–86 %; 6 examples). Similarly, bromocorannulene produced highly curved 1,2‐disubstituted cyclopentacorannulenes. Reactions of 6,12‐dibromochrysene and 4,7‐dibromo[4]helicene with di(4‐tolyl)ethyne provided the twofold annulated products in moderate yields. 4,5‐Diphenylacephenanthrylene and 6,7‐diphenylbenzo[a]acephenanthrylene thus generated were converted into phenanthro[9,10‐e]acephenanthrylene and benzo[a]phenanthro[9,10‐e]acephenanthrylene, respectively, by oxidative cyclodehydrogenation. The structures of 4,5‐diphenylacephenanthrylene, 4,5‐diphenyldibenzo[a,l]acephenanthrylene, 1,2‐diarylcyclopentacorannulenes, and benzo[a]phenanthro[9,10‐e]acephenanthrylene were verified by X‐ray crystallography. The photophysical and electrochemical properties of the selected annulated products were investigated.