Synthesis and intramolecular pericyclization of 1-azulenyl thioketones.

Several azulene-substituted thioketones, 1-thiobenzoylazulene (1a) and di(1-azulenyl) thioketone (2a) and their derivatives (1b and 2b-d) with alkyl substituents on each azulene ring, were prepared and their intramolecular pericyclization reaction was examined. The thioketones with a 3-alkyl substituent on each azulene ring exhibited the presumed pericyclization reaction under thermal and acid-catalyzed conditions, although the cases of the 1-azulenyl thioketones without the 3-alkyl substituents afforded a complex mixture under similar conditions. The intramolecular reaction following the intramolecular hydrogen transfer afforded the products 13b, 14b, and 14c. The products 13b and 14b were converted into the corresponding cations 18(+) and 19(+), which have structural similarity with that of the phenalenyl cation. These cations exhibited the expected two-step reduction waves upon CV, although the ESR analysis revealed that the neutral radical state did not have the presumed high stability.

Synthesis, stability and bonding situation of tris-, bis- and mono[9-(azuleno[1,2-b]thienyl)]methyl cations.

Stable tris-, bis- and mono[9-(azuleno[1,2-b]thienyl)]methyl cations (7a, 8a and 9a) and their derivatives, with a 6-isopropyl substituent on each azuleno[1,2-b]thiophene ring (7b, 8b and 9b) were prepared by the hydride abstraction reaction of the corresponding methane derivatives. The bonding situation of these compounds including the methane derivatives was examined by analysis of the 3J(H,H) values for the seven-membered ring from the 1H NMR spectra. The methane derivatives exhibited a significant alternating pattern in the 3J(H,H) values, which indicated that the pi-system of the azulene core is perturbed by the fused thiophene ring, showing a tendency towards a localized heptafulvene substructure. The 3J(H,H) values of 7b and 8b in the seven-membered ring revealed that the alternating C-C bond lengths in the azulene core still existed. The cations 9a and 9b, which exhibited nearly equal 3J(H,H) values in the seven-membered ring, exhibit the development of a delocalized tropylium substructure in the azulene core. X-ray crystal analysis of 6-isopropylazuleno[1,2-b]thiophene revealed substantial bond-length alternation in the seven-membered ring. Significant bond-length equalization in the seven-membered ring was also confirmed by the X-ray crystal analysis of 9b. The stability of these carbocations was examined by measurement of the pKR+ values and the redox potentials, which revealed that the bond-length alternation in the azulene core does not significantly affect the stability of the carbocations.

Synthesis, absolute configuration and conformation of optically active 1,2-homoheptafulvalene.

An optically active 1,2-homoheptafulvalene was successfully synthesized and subjected to spectroscopic investigation. The cycloaddition of the optically active hydrocarbon with tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) and 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione(PTAD) gave a [4 + 2] cycloadduct and a mixture of [8 + 2] cycloadducts, respectively, which are both optically active.

High Stabilities of Di(1-azulenyl)(4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl Hexafluorophosphates and Polarized Properties of alpha,alpha-Di(1-azulenyl)-1,4-benzoquinone Methides.

Acid-catalyzed condensation of azulenes 8a-c with 4-hydroxy- and 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde leads to substituted di(1-azulenyl)(4-hydroxy- and 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)methanes 7a- f, which are easily converted into substituted di(1-azulenyl)(4-hydroxy- and 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl cations 5a-f by oxidation with DDQ. The spectroscopic data are consistent with the protonated cationic structures of 5a-f. The electrochemical reduction of 5a-f showed a reversible wave at -0.74 to -0.86 V (V vs Ag/Ag(+)) upon cyclic voltammetry (CV), although 5d and 5e showed an irreversible wave at -0.79 V. The relatively high reduction potentials of 5a-f, compared with those of di(1-azulenyl)phenylmethyl cations 2a-c, exhibit the stabilization by 4-hydroxy substituents on the phenyl groups. These salts (5a-f.PF(6)(-)) bearing 4-hydroxyl groups on the phenyl rings have been converted by treatment with bases to alpha,alpha-di(1-azulenyl)-1,4-benzoquinone methides 6a-f, which revert to 5a-f.PF(6)(-) upon reprotonation with HPF(6). These quinone methides (6a-f) are highly polarized by the extreme-electrodonating properties of 1-azulenyl groups. The highly polarized properties of 6a-f reflected to the high pK(a) values of their conjugate acids (5a-c, 6.5-7.1, and 5d-f, 3.4-3.8). The strong solvatochromic effects also provide strong evidence of a large contribution of dipolar forms (6') in the ground state. The relatively low oxidation potentials of 6a-f (+0.35 to +0.47 V vs Ag/Ag(+)) reflected facile formation of phenoxy radical cations, stabilized by two 1-azulenyl groups.