The Effect of Benzannulation on the Structures, Reactivity and Molecular Dynamics of Indenes, Pentalenes, Azulenes and Related Molecules

The stabilising effect of benzannulation on isoindenes formed in the course of sigmatropic shifts of (C₅H₅)Fe(CO)₂ or of organo-silyl groups, and on exocyclic allyl intermediates in the course of haptotropic shifts of organometallic fragments over polycyclic skeletons (fluorene, cyclopenta[def]phenanthrene, syn and anti dibenzpentalenes) is exemplified. This approach led to the development of the first organometallic molecular brake. Benzyne cycloadditions to anthracenes to form triptycenes also led to unexpected or multiple adducts that were characterised by X-ray crystallography. Synthetic routes to the previously elusive benz[cd]azulene system are presented. Finally, the complete mechanism of the stepwise assembly of dispiro- and diindenyltetracenes from fluorenylallenes is presented, whereby every intermediate has been unambiguously structurally characterised.

Sequential Formation of Yellow, Red, and Orange 1-Phenyl-3,3-Biphenylene-Allene Dimers Prior to Blue Tetracene Formation: Helicity Reversal intrans-3,4-Diphenyl-1,2-bis(fluorenylidene)cyclobutane

1-Phenyl-3,3-biphenyleneallene (2), the base-catalyzed rearrangement product of 9-phenylethynylfluorene (1) yields a yellow, head-to-tail dimer 6 that, upon gentle warming, is converted to the red tail-to-tail isomer trans-3,4-diphenyl-1,2-bis(fluorenylidene)cyclobutane (7), in which the two fluorenylidene moieties severely overlap. The helical sense of the fluorenylidene moieties in 7 matches that of the phenyl substituents, and the interplanar angle between the fluorenylidene moieties is 41 degrees . At 80 degrees C, 6 isomerizes to orange cis-3,4-diphenyl-1,2-bis(fluorenylidene)cyclobutane (8), which at 110 degrees C is converted to orange trans diastereomer 9, whereby the helicity of the overlapping fluorenylidene moieties is reversed from that in 7 such that they are aligned with the ring hydrogen atoms, and the interplanar angle between the fluorenylidene moieties is now 60 degrees . At 180 degrees C, 6 rearranges to dispirodihydrotetracene 3 and blue, electroluminescent diindenotetracene 4, which is readily oxidized to peroxide 5. In the solid state, both 3 and 4 adopt structures with Ci symmetry (only an inversion center) such that the central polycyclic framework is nonplanar. Deprotonation of yellow head-to-tail allene dimer 6 with tBuOK in DMSO and reprotonation with HOAc yields the [1,3]-hydrogen migration product 10, in which the proton originally on the cyclobutane ring is now sited at C9 on the exocyclic fluorenyl substituent. Analogously, deprotonation and reprotonation of orange dimer 9 furnishes [1,3]-hydrogen migration product 11. Side product 17, formed during the synthesis of 1 from 9-phenylethynylfluoren-9-ol, BF3 and Et3SiH, was shown to be a silyl-indene spiro-linked to C9 of fluorene. All products were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography, and the mechanisms of these interconversions are discussed.