Direct Spectroscopic Identification of BN-Arynes and Subtle Steric Effects on Nitrogen Fixation.

1,2-Azaborinines are the BN analogues of arynes through exchange of the formal CC triple bond by an isoelectronic BN bond. The BN-arynes are an underexplored class of reactive intermediates. Dibenzo[c,e][1,2]azaborinine (10,9-BN-phenanthryne) 1 was inferred as reactive intermediate by trapping reactions. Here it is shown that 1 can be generated in the gas phase by thermolysis from the pyridine adduct of 9-azido-9-borafluorene by cleavage of the dative bond with pyridine and dinitrogen extrusion. The ionization potential of 1 is 8.2 eV with ionization resulting from the π HOMO. Under cryogenic matrix isolation conditions, 9-azido-9-borafluorene photolysis results in isomerization to the dinitrogen adduct of 1 without involvement of a triplet borylnitrene intermediate. Photochemical nitrogen extrusion from 1 ⋅ N2 is not possible and nitrogen fixation is irreversible under cryogenic conditions. In contrast, 2,4,7,9-tetra-tert-butyldibenzo[c,e][1,2]azaborinine can be photogenerated from the corresponding azidoborole precursor under cryogenic matrix isolation conditions, and nitrogen fixation is precluded due to steric hindrance. The BN stretching vibration at about 1750 cm-1 is much weaker than in typical linear diaryl iminoboranes.

Limited Stability of 6,13-Bis(tri(isopropyl)silylethynyl)pentacene upon One-Electron Oxidation: Electrochemically Induced (4 + 2) Cycloaddition between an Alkynyl-Substituted Acene and Its Radical Cation.

6,13-Bis(tri(isopropyl)silylethynyl)pentacene, a particularly stable acene derivative important for (opto)electronic materials, turns reactive upon electrochemical one-electron oxidation. One of the typically stabilizing tri(isopropyl)silylethynyl substituents becomes involved in a (4 + 2) cycloaddition after redox umpolung. The electrosynthetic dimerization of the title compound provides easy access under mild conditions to a complex scaffold, which includes an intact pentacene, an anthracene, and a phenylene unit, all electronically separated. The product's electrochemical redox properties are explained by superimposed cyclic voltammetric features of the pentacene and the anthracene moieties. The reaction path is analyzed on the basis of electroanalytical and ESR data, and an oxidation-cycloaddition-reduction sequence is elaborated. The contribution of homogeneous electron transfers (electron transfer chain reaction) is negligible, in accordance with the relative formal redox potentials of the starting compound and the product. Quantum chemical calculations indicate that the central cycloaddition should be described as a two-step process with a distonic radical cation intermediate. We suggest an extended notation to define the contribution of the components with respect to electron count in the two-step cycloaddition, [3 + 1, 1 + 1].

Pushing the Limits of Acene Chemistry: The Recent Surge of Large Acenes.

Acenes, consisting of linearly fused benzene rings, are an important fundamental class of organic compounds with various applications. Hexacene is the largest acene that was synthesized and isolated in the 20th century. The next largest member of the acene family, heptacene, was observed in 2007 and since then significant progress in preparing acenes has been reported. Significantly larger acenes, up to undecacene, could be studied by means of low-temperature matrix isolation spectroscopy with in situ photolytic generation, and up to dodecacene by means of on-surface synthesis employing innovative precursors and highly defined crystalline metal surfaces under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. The review summarizes recent experimental and theoretical advances in the area of acenes that give a significantly deeper insight into the fundamental properties and nature of the electronic structure of this fascinating class of organic compounds.

A Free-Radical Prompted Barrierless Gas-Phase Synthesis of Pentacene.

A representative, low-temperature gas-phase reaction mechanism synthesizing polyacenes via ring annulation exemplified by the formation of pentacene (C22 H14 ) along with its benzo[a]tetracene isomer (C22 H14 ) is unraveled by probing the elementary reaction of the 2-tetracenyl radical (C18 H11 . ) with vinylacetylene (C4 H4 ). The pathway to pentacene-a prototype polyacene and a fundamental molecular building block in graphenes, fullerenes, and carbon nanotubes-is facilitated by a barrierless, vinylacetylene mediated gas-phase process thus disputing conventional hypotheses that synthesis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) solely proceeds at elevated temperatures. This low-temperature pathway can launch isomer-selective routes to aromatic structures through submerged reaction barriers, resonantly stabilized free-radical intermediates, and methodical ring annulation in deep space eventually changing our perception about the chemistry of carbon in our universe.

Electronically Excited States of Higher Acenes up to Nonacene: A Density Functional Theory/Multireference Configuration Interaction Study.

While the optical spectra of the acene series up to pentacene provide textbook examples for the annulation principle, the spectra of the larger members are much less understood. The present work provides an investigation of the optically allowed excited states of the acene series from pentacene to nonacene, the largest acene observed experimentally, using the density functional based multireference configuration method (DFT/MRCI). For this purpose, the ten lowest energy states of the B2u and B3u irreducible representations were computed. In agreement with previous computational investigations, the electronic wave functions of the acenes acquire significant multireference character with increasing acene size. The HOMO → LUMO excitation is the major contributor to the (1)La state (p band, B2u) also for the larger acenes. The oscillator strength decreases with increasing length. The (1)Lb state (α band, B3u), so far difficult to assign for the larger acenes due to overlap with photoprecursor bands, becomes almost insensitive to acene length. The (1)Bb state (ß band, B3u) also moves only moderately to lower energy with increasing acene size. Excited states of B3u symmetry that formally result from double excitations involving HOMO, HOMO-1, LUMO, and LUMO+1 decrease in energy much faster with system size. One of them (D1) has very small oscillator strength but becomes almost isoenergetic with the (1)La state for nonacene. The other (D2) also has low oscillator strength as long as it is higher in energy than (1)Bb. Once it is lower in energy than the (1)Bb state, both states interact strongly resulting in two states with large oscillator strengths. The emergence of two strongly absorbing states is in agreement with experimental observations. The DFT/MRCI computations reproduce experimental excitation energies very well for pentacene and hexacene (within 0.1 eV). For the larger acenes deviations are larger (up to 0.2 eV), but qualitative agreement is observed.

The longest acenes.

For a long time, the largest known member of the acene series was hexacene, consisting of six linearly fused benzene rings. The next higher member, heptacene, is so highly reactive that either stabilization using substituents is required or matrix isolation techniques need to be employed for the detection of the parent hydrocarbon. This Record Review summarizes recent research that culminated in the synthesis of substituted and parent nonacene.

Beyond pentacenes: synthesis and properties of higher acenes.

Acenes consist of linearly annulated benzene rings. Their reactivity increases quickly with increasing chain length. Therefore acenes longer than pentacene are very sensitive towards oxygen in the presence of light and thus these molecules have not been well studied or have remained elusive in spite of synthetic efforts dating back to the 1930s. This review gives an historical account of the development of the chemistry of acenes larger than pentacene and summarizes the recent progress in the field including strategies for stabilization of higher acenes up to nonacene.

B3N3 borazine substitution in hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene: computational analysis and Scholl reaction of hexaphenylborazine.

The doping of graphene molecules by borazine (B(3)N(3)) units may modify the electronic properties favorably. Therefore, the influence of the substitution of the central benzene ring of hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene (HBC, C(42)H(18)) by an isoelectronic B(3)N(3) ring resulting in C(36)B(3)N(3)H(18) (B3N3HBC) is investigated by computational methods. For comparison, the isoelectronic and isosteric all-B/N molecule B(21)N(21)H(18) (termed BN) and its carbon derivative C(6)B(18)N(18)H(18) (C6BN), obtained by substitution of a central B(3)N(3) by a C(6) ring, are also studied. The substitution of C(6) in the HBC molecule by a B(3)N(3) unit results in a significant change of the computed IR vibrational spectrum between 1400 and 1600 cm(-1) due to the polarity of the borazine core. The properties of the BN molecule resemble those of hexagonal boron nitride, and substitution of the central B(3)N(3) ring by C(6) changes the computed IR vibrational spectrum only slightly. The allowed transitions to excited states associated with large oscillator strengths shift to higher energy upon going from HBC to B3N3HBC, but to lower energy upon going from BN to C6BN. The possibility of synthesis of B3N3HBC from hexaphenylborazine (HPB) using the Scholl reaction (CuCl(2)/AlCl(3) in CS(2)) is investigated. Rather than the desired B3N3HBC an insoluble and X-ray amorphous polymer P is obtained. Its analysis by IR and (11)B magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy reveals the presence of borazine units. The changes in the (11)B quadrupolar coupling constant C(Q), asymmetry parameter η, and isotropic chemical shift δ(iso)((11)B) with respect to HPB are in agreement with a structural model that includes B3N3HBC-derived monomeric units in polymer P. This indicates that both intra- and intermolecular cyclodehydrogenation reactions take place during the Scholl reaction of HPB.

The influence of terminal push-pull substitution on the electronic structure and optical properties of pentacenes.

The synthesis of 2,3-R(2)-9,10-(OMe)(2)-substituted pentacenes (R=OMe, F, Br, CN; 1-4) from 2,3-R(2)-9,10-dimethoxy-6,13-dihydro-6,13-ethanopentacene-15,16-diones (α-diketone-bridged precursors) by photochemically induced bis-decarbonylation (Strating-Zwanenburg reaction) is described. Under matrix-isolation conditions (solid Ar, 10 K) the S(1) transitions of 1 and 2 undergo hypsochromic and those of 3 and 4 bathochromic shifts compared to parent pentacene. The S(1) transition wavelengths correlate well with the difference of substituent parameters σ(p). A computational analysis of the excited states at the CAM-B3LYP/6-311+G** level of theory provides an assignment of the electronic transitions. Photolysis in solution at room temperature yields red [R=OMe (1)], blue [R=Br (3), F (2)], and green [R=CN (4)] pentacenes. The compounds are oxygen-sensitive and have low solubility, but their formation can be monitored by UV/Vis and, in the case of R=CN, also by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. The S(1) transition in 4 does not show the typical pentacene fine structure in the electronic absorption spectrum. Photogeneration in the presence of oxygen leads to a number of photoproducts that could be identified by monitoring the reaction by (1)H NMR spectroscopy for R=OMe.

Synthesis, stability, and photochemistry of pentacene, hexacene, and heptacene: a matrix isolation study.

The photochemical bisdecarbonylation of bridged alpha-diketones (Strating-Zwanenburg reaction) to give the oligoacenes pentacene (2), hexacene (3), and heptacene (4) is investigated in solid inert gas matrices at cryogenic temperatures. The photodecomposition using visible light irradiation cleanly produces the corresponding oligoacene without formation of observable intermediates. This synthetic approach to the higher acenes allows a comprehensive comparative study of their electronic absorption and infrared spectral properties under identical conditions for the first time. In addition, the route makes it possible to investigate the thermal and photochemical stability of these higher acenes and addresses the problem of heptacene stability which dates back almost 70 years. This largest known member of the acene series is found to be unstable at room temperature. Furthermore, all oligoacenes 2-4 undergo a photoredox reaction upon 185 nm excitation, resulting in the concurrent formation of radical cations and anions in the noble gas matrix. These polaron states of the oligoacenes are stable under the conditions of their generation but collapse to the uncharged acenes upon visible light irradiation.

The Shapiro reaction of barrelene derivatives: the influence of annelation on acene formation.

The possible formation of pentacene from a tosylhydrazone of 6,13-dihydro-6,13-ethenopentacene under the conditions of the Shapiro reaction is explored, as previous work demonstrated that the tosylhydrazone of barrelene (bicyclo[2.2.2]octatriene) yields benzene under these conditions [C. Weitemeyer, T. Preuss, and A. de Meijere, Chem. Ber., 1985, 118, 3993]. The computational analyses based on homodesmotic equations involving the anions, and monomeric (including the dimethyl ether solvate) and dimeric organolithium compounds reveals that benzene formation is exothermic, but pentacene formation is endothermic due to the increased stability of the lithium derivative and the decreased stability of pentacene. The computational predictions are confirmed by experimental investigations.

Photochemistry of an azido-functionalized cryptand: controlling the reactivity of an extremely long-lived singlet aryl nitrene by complexation to alkali cations.

Photolysis of the cryptand 1, bearing an intraannular azido substituent, results in a complex photochemistry. Low-temperature photolysis yields the triplet nitrene (3)2, which has been characterized by EPR spectroscopy. Small differences in ZFS parameters are detected between the uncomplexed nitrene-functionalized ligand (in EtOH: D' = 0.93 cm(-1)) and its sodium (NaBr@(3)2 in EtOH: D' = 0.88 cm(-1)) and potassium (KBr@(3)2 in MTHF: D' = 0.89 cm(-1)) complexes. If the photolysis of the free ligand is conducted at ambient temperature, a derivative of o-aminobenzaldehyde 4 is found to be the main product, which is formed by reaction of the o-iminoquinone methide 9 with water. The latter can be detected by UV/vis spectroscopy. Its lifetime is tau = 254 s in acetonitrile solution at ambient temperature. In the presence of diethylamine, the methyleneazepine derivative 5 is formed, which is indicative of didehydroazepine formation (7). Room-temperature photolysis of acetonitrile solutions of the sodium or potassium complexes also results in formation of the o-aminobenzaldehyde derivative. In the presence of diethylamine, however, no methyleneazepine 5 is found. Formation of the aniline derivative 8 instead points to free radical processes. Laser flash photolysis (LFP) of acetonitrile solutions of 1 leads to the detection of a short-lived (tau = 1.4 mus, lambda(max) = 445 nm plus weak absorption at lambda > 500 nm) intermediate A, which decays to transient B (tau = 8 ms, lambda(max) = 295 and ca. 350-400 nm). LFP of acetonitrile solutions of complexes NaBr@1 and KBr@1 gives similar transient spectra. In the presence of sodium and potassium cations, the lifetime of the short-lived transient A is reduced (Na(+): A', tau = 200 ns; K(+): A", tau = 160 ns). Transients A' and A" decay to long-lived transients B' + C' (B" + C"). Based on the results of our product studies, a comparison with the low-temperature results, and quantum mechanical calculations, the transients A, A', and A" are identified as singlet nitrenes (1)2, NaBr@(1)2, and KBr@(1)2, while the long-lived transients B, B', and B" are assigned to didehydroazepines 7, NaBr@7, and KBr@7. Transients C' and C" can be assigned to aminyl radicals NaBr@16 and KBr@16.

Azidocryptands-synthesis, structure, and complexation properties.

Cryptands bearing an intraannular azido substituent have been synthesized and characterized spectroscopically. Their complexation properties were investigated by picrate extraction analysis. The oxygen-containing cryptands were found to be good ligands for alkali cations, with a preference for Li(+) and Na(+). The molecular structure of the complex with KBr was determined by X-ray crystallography. In this, the first structurally characterized complex of an aryl azide bound to a metal cation, the potassium cation was found to show ninefold coordination to four oxygen atoms and two nitrogen atoms of the crown ether moiety, to the bromide anion and to N1 of the azido group, as well as C1 of the benzene ring.