1,2,5-Triarylcycloalka[c]arsoles: Structural Effects of Fused-cycloalkanes on Stability and Photophysical Properties

Herein, we have synthesized a variety of cycloalkane-fused arsoles. Cyclopentane and cyclohexane were incorporated into the cycloalkane-fused arsoles. Surprisingly, cyclohexane-fused arsole 2 a gradually decomposed via oxidative ring-opening under ambient conditions, while cyclopentane-fused 1 a was stable. In addition, the Stokes shift of 2 a (7766 cm⁻¹) is larger than that of 1 a (5120 cm⁻¹). The effects of the fused cycloalkane on the stability and photophysical properties were attributed to the distortion of the cycloalkane. Computational calculations demonstrated that the cyclohexane moiety in 2 a was frustrated upon being incorporated into the rigid arsole ring, while the cyclopentane moiety in 1 a was much less distorted.