Superphane

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Superphane
Superphane.svg
Skeletal stick model of superphane Superphane-3D-skeletal-sticks.png
Skeletal stick model of superphane
Spacefill model of superphane Superphane-3D-spacefill.png
Spacefill model of superphane
Names
Other names
[2.2.2.2.2.2](1,2,3,4,5,6)Cyclophane
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
PubChem CID
  • InChI=1S/C24H24/c1-2-14-17-5-3-15-13(1)16-4-6-18(14)22-10-8-20(16)23-11-12-24(22)21(17)9-7-19(15)23/h1-12H2 Yes check.svgY
    Key: BVTYOCKAKQQPEE-UHFFFAOYSA-N Yes check.svgY
  • C1Cc2c3CCc4c1c1CCc2c2CCc1c1CCc2c3CCc41
Properties
C24H24
Molar mass 312.456 g·mol−1
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).

Superphane is a 6-fold bridged cyclophane with all arene positions in the benzene dimer taken up by ethylene spacers. The compound has been of some scientific interest as a model for testing aromaticity and was first synthesised by Virgil Boekelheide in 1979. [1] [2] Superphane is the base compound for a large group of derivatives with structural variations. The analogs with 2 to 5 bridges are also known compounds. The benzene rings have been replaced by other aromatic units, such as those based on ferrocene or stabilized cyclobutadiene. Numerous derivatives are known with variations in the type and length of the bridging units.

Contents

Synthesis

The first synthesis of superphane itself by Boekelheide involved forming pairs of bridging units. At each stage, two o-chloromethyl toluene structures are pyrolyzed to form o-xylylenes, either directly or via benzocyclobutene intermediates. Upon further pyrolysis, these each undergo electrocyclic ring-opening to form o-xylylenes. These structures were not isolated—they immediately react via [4+4] cycloaddition reactions to form two adjacent bridges between the aromatic rings.

The process started from 2,4,5-trimethylbenzyl chloride 1, which was pyrolyzed at 700 °C to give benzocyclobutene 2 and further pyrolyzed to the cyclooctane dimer 3. Rieche formylation afforded 4 (after separation from other regioisomers), aldehyde reduction using sodium borohydride gave diol 5, and then chlorination using thionyl chloride) gave dichloride 6. Another pyrolysis gave tetrabridged cyclophane 7, another formylation reaction gave dialdehyde 8, another reduction/chlorination sequence gave dichloride 9, and a final pyrolysis gave superphane 10 as hard white crystals with melting point 325–327 °C.

Superphane synthesis Boekelheide.svg

Other synthetic routes were published by Hopf (1983) [3] and another by Boekelheide (1984). [4]

Structure and properties

X-ray analysis shows D6h molecular symmetry with the aromatic planes separated by 262 pm. The sp2-sp3 carbon carbon bonds are out of planarity with the benzene rings by 20°. The strain energy is estimated at 20 kcal/mole. Proton NMR shows just one peak at 2,98 ppm and carbon NMR two at 32 ppm and 144 ppm. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aromatic compound</span> Compound containing rings with delocalized pi electrons

Aromatic compounds, also known as "mono- and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons", are organic compounds containing one or more aromatic rings. The parent member of aromatic compounds is benzene. The word "aromatic" originates from the past grouping of molecules based on smell, before their general chemical properties are understood. The current definition of aromatic compounds does not have any relation with their smell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phenyl group</span> Cyclic group of atoms with the formula C6H5

In organic chemistry, the phenyl group, or phenyl ring, is a cyclic group of atoms with the formula C6H5, and is often represented by the symbol Ph. Phenyl group is closely related to benzene and can be viewed as a benzene ring, minus a hydrogen, which may be replaced by some other element or compound to serve as a functional group. Phenyl group has six carbon atoms bonded together in a hexagonal planar ring, five of which are bonded to individual hydrogen atoms, with the remaining carbon bonded to a substituent. Phenyl groups are commonplace in organic chemistry. Although often depicted with alternating double and single bonds, phenyl group is chemically aromatic and has equal bond lengths between carbon atoms in the ring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pentalene</span> Chemical compound

Pentalene is a polycyclic hydrocarbon composed of two fused cyclopentadiene rings. It has chemical formula C8H6. It is antiaromatic, because it has 4n π electrons where n is any integer. For this reason it dimerizes even at temperatures as low as −100 °C. The derivative 1,3,5-tri-tert-butylpentalene was synthesized in 1973. Because of the tert-butyl substituents this compound is thermally stable. Pentalenes can also be stabilized by benzannulation for example in the compounds benzopentalene and dibenzopentalene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silabenzene</span> Chemical compound

A silabenzene is a heteroaromatic compound containing one or more silicon atoms instead of carbon atoms in benzene. A single substitution gives silabenzene proper; additional substitutions give a disilabenzene, trisilabenzene, etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In-Methylcyclophane</span>

In-Methylcyclophanes are organic compounds and members of a larger family of cyclophanes. These compounds are used to study how chemical bonds in molecules adapt to strain. In-methylcyclophanes in particular have a methyl group in proximity to a benzene ring. This is only possible when both methyl group and ring are attached to the same rigid scaffold. In one In-methylcyclophane molecule this is accomplished with a triptycene frame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Formylation reaction</span>

A formylation reaction in organic chemistry refers to organic reactions in which an organic compound is functionalized with a formyl group (-CH=O). The reaction is a route to aldehydes (C-CH=O), formamides (N-CH=O), and formate esters (O-CH=O). A reagent that delivers the formyl group is called a formylating agent. A particularly important formylation process is hydroformylation which converts alkenes to the homologated aldehyde. The conversion of benzene to benzaldehyde is the basis of the Gattermann–Koch reaction:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyclooctadecanonaene</span> Chemical compound

Cyclooctadecanonaene or [18]annulene is an organic compound with chemical formula C
18
H
18
. It belongs to the class of highly conjugated compounds known as annulenes and is aromatic. The usual isomer that [18]annulene refers to is the most stable one, containing six interior hydrogens and twelve exterior ones, with the nine formal double bonds in the cis,trans,trans,cis,trans,trans,cis,trans,trans configuration. It is reported to be a red-brown crystalline solid.

In organic chemistry, a cyclophane is a hydrocarbon consisting of an aromatic unit and a chain that forms a bridge between two non-adjacent positions of the aromatic ring. More complex derivatives with multiple aromatic units and bridges forming cagelike structures are also known. Cyclophanes are well-studied examples of strained organic compounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stacking (chemistry)</span> Attractive interactions between aromatic rings

In chemistry, pi stacking refers to the presumptive attractive, noncovalent pi interactions between the pi bonds of aromatic rings. However this is a misleading description of the phenomena since direct stacking of aromatic rings is electrostatically repulsive. What is more commonly observed is either a staggered stacking or pi-teeing interaction both of which are electrostatic attractive For example, the most commonly observed interactions between aromatic rings of amino acid residues in proteins is a staggered stacked followed by a perpendicular orientation. Sandwiched orientations are relatively rare.

Cycloheptatriene (CHT) is an organic compound with the formula C7H8. It is a closed ring of seven carbon atoms joined by three double bonds (as the name implies) and four single bonds. This colourless liquid has been of recurring theoretical interest in organic chemistry. It is a ligand in organometallic chemistry and a building block in organic synthesis. Cycloheptatriene is not aromatic, as reflected by the nonplanarity of the methylene bridge (-CH2-) with respect to the other atoms; however the related tropylium cation is.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carbenium ion</span>

A carbenium ion is a positive ion with the structure RR′R″C+, that is, a chemical species with a trivalent carbon that bears a +1 formal charge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Germabenzene</span> Chemical compound

Germabenzene (C5H6Ge) is the parent representative of a group of chemical compounds containing in their molecular structure a benzene ring with a carbon atom replaced by a germanium atom. Germabenzene itself has been studied theoretically, and synthesized with a bulky 2,4,6-tris[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]phenyl or Tbt group. Also, stable naphthalene derivatives do exist in the laboratory such as the 2-germanaphthalene-containing substance represented below. The germanium to carbon bond in this compound is shielded from potential reactants by a Tbt group. This compound is aromatic just as the other carbon group representatives silabenzene and stannabenzene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homoaromaticity</span> Organic molecular structure

Homoaromaticity, in organic chemistry, refers to a special case of aromaticity in which conjugation is interrupted by a single sp3 hybridized carbon atom. Although this sp3 center disrupts the continuous overlap of p-orbitals, traditionally thought to be a requirement for aromaticity, considerable thermodynamic stability and many of the spectroscopic, magnetic, and chemical properties associated with aromatic compounds are still observed for such compounds. This formal discontinuity is apparently bridged by p-orbital overlap, maintaining a contiguous cycle of π electrons that is responsible for this preserved chemical stability.

Bullvalene is a hydrocarbon with the chemical formula C10H10. The molecule has a cage-like structure formed by the fusion of one cyclopropane and three cyclohepta-1,4-diene rings. Bullvalene is unusual as an organic molecule due to the C−C and C=C bonds forming and breaking rapidly on the NMR timescale; this property makes it a fluxional molecule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xylylene</span>

In organic chemistry, a xylylene (sometimes quinone-dimethide) is any of the constitutional isomers having the formula C6H4(CH2)2. These compounds are related to the corresponding quinones and quinone methides by replacement of the oxygen atoms by CH2 groups. ortho- and para-xylylene are best known, although neither is stable in solid or liquid form. The meta form is a diradical. Certain substituted derivatives of xylylenes are however highly stable, such as tetracyanoquinodimethane and the xylylene dichlorides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyanogen fluoride</span> Chemical compound

Cyanogen fluoride is an inorganic linear compound which consists of a fluorine in a single bond with carbon, and a nitrogen in a triple bond with carbon. It is a toxic and explosive gas at room temperature. It is used in organic synthesis and can be produced by pyrolysis of cyanuric fluoride or by fluorination of cyanogen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Half sandwich compound</span> Class of coordination compounds

Half sandwich compounds, also known as piano stool complexes, are organometallic complexes that feature a cyclic polyhapto ligand bound to an MLn center, where L is a unidentate ligand. Thousands of such complexes are known. Well-known examples include cyclobutadieneiron tricarbonyl and (C5H5)TiCl3. Commercially useful examples include (C5H5)Co(CO)2, which is used in the synthesis of substituted pyridines, and methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl, an antiknock agent in petrol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thermal rearrangement of aromatic hydrocarbons</span>

Thermal rearrangements of aromatic hydrocarbons are considered to be unimolecular reactions that directly involve the atoms of an aromatic ring structure and require no other reagent than heat. These reactions can be categorized in two major types: one that involves a complete and permanent skeletal reorganization (isomerization), and one in which the atoms are scrambled but no net change in the aromatic ring occurs (automerization). The general reaction schemes of the two types are illustrated in Figure 1.

The chemical compound xylylene dichloride (C6H4(CH2Cl)2) is a white to light yellow sandlike solid. This compound can be classified as a benzyl halide. Xylylene dichloride is used as a vulcanizing agent to harden rubbers. It catalyzes the crosslinking of phenolic resins.

Virgil Boekelheide was an American organic chemist and a professor in the department of chemistry at the University of Oregon. He is known for his work on aromatic compounds, particularly cyclophanes, and a name reaction, the Boekelheide reaction, is named after him.

References

  1. Schirch, Paulo F. T.; Boekelheide, Virgil (1979). "[2.2.2.2.2](1,2,3,4,5)Cyclophane". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 101 (11): 3125–3126. doi:10.1021/ja00505a052.
  2. Sekine, Y.; Brown, M.; Boekelheide, V. (1979). "[2.2.2.2.2.2](1,2,3,4,5,6)Cyclophane: superphane". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 101 (11): 3126–3127. doi:10.1021/ja00505a053.
  3. El-Tamany, Sayed; Hopf, Henning (1983). "Eine zweite Synthese von [26](1,2,3,4,5,6)Cyclophan (Superphan)". Chemische Berichte. 116 (4): 1682–1685. doi:10.1002/cber.19831160444.
  4. Rohrbach, William D.; Sheley, Robert; Boekelheide, V. (1984). "Methylated multibridged [2n]cyclophanes. All alternate synthesis of [26](1,2,3,4,5,6) cyclophane (superphane)". Tetrahedron. 40 (23): 4823–4828. doi:10.1016/S0040-4020(01)91315-8.
  5. Sekine, Yasuo; Boekelheide, V. (1981). "A study of the synthesis and properties of [26](1,2,3,4,5,6)cyclophane (superphane)". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 103 (7): 1777–1785. doi:10.1021/ja00397a032.