Indeno[2,1-a]fluorene: An air-stable ortho-quinodimethane derivative

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/anie.201101950

A new isomer: 11,12-Dimesitylindeno[2,1-a]fluorene was synthesized and isolated in crystal form. The indenofluorene exhibits significant bond-length alternation in the o-quinodimethane structure, limited singlet biradical character, and weakly antiaromati

Full text of DOI:10.1002/anie.201101950

Communications
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201101950
Polycyclic Hydrocarbons
Indeno[2,1-a]fluorene: An Air-Stable ortho-Quinodimethane
Derivative**
Akihiro Shimizu and Yoshito Tobe*
Conjugated polycyclic hydrocarbons[1] have attracted much
attention because of their novel fundamental properties and
potential application in electronic materials.[2] Recently,
thanks to the development of excellent synthetic methods,
hydrocarbons with unique electronic structures such as
dibenzopentalenes 1[3] and zethrenes 2[4] have been subjects
of extensive research. In particular, polycyclic hydrocarbons
methane (oQDM) structure instead of the pQDM moiety of
3a, for two reasons: 1) Since oQDM[10] has a smaller HOMO–
LUMO energy gap than pQDM,[11] the HOMO–LUMO gap
of 6a would be smaller than that of 3a. 2) In contrast to the
pQDM derivatives, studies on compounds containing an
oQDM structure are scarce because of their high reactivity
due to the s-cis diene unit.[12] In fact, studies on pQDM-type
hydrocarbons such as Thieleꢀs hydrocarbon 7[13] and Chichi-
babinꢀs hydrocarbon 8,[14] which are stable enough to be
isolated as crystals,[15] were performed over a century ago. On
containing a quinodimethane (QDM) structure[5,6] have been
studied because of their low-energy bandgaps and excellent
electrochemical behavior, which make them potential candi-
dates for optoelectronic materials.
Very recently, Haley et al. have reported the synthesis and
properties of a stable p-quinodimethane (pQDM) derivative,
indeno[1,2-b]fluorene 3b (TIPS = triisopropylsilyl)[5] which
was regarded as a fully conjugated 20p-electron hydrocarbon
with fused s-trans diene linkages across the top and bottom
parts of the carbon framework.[7,8] In connection with our own
interest in the transannular cyclization of dehydrobenzoan-
nulenes,[9] we became interested in a structural isomer of 3a,
indeno[2,1-a]fluorene (6a), which possesses an o-quinodi-
the other hand, molecules containing the oQDM structure,
such as tetraphenyl-oQDM 9[16] and pleiadene (10)[17] are
reported to be highly reactive. These compounds were
generated and detected in rigid glass matrices but could not
be isolated. Though tetraaryl-oQDM 11[18] and a highly
reactive oQDM derivative 12[19] were recently synthesized
and isolated, the fundamental properties originating from the
oQDM moiety remain to be clarified. In this regard, indeno-
[2,1-a]fluorene (6a) is an intriguing molecule because the
benzo bridge to the oQDM structure would not only extend
the length of the p-conjugated carbon framework but also
prevent one of the typical reactions of oQDMs, cyclization to
form benzocyclobutenes. Additionally, the fact that 6a
contains an antiaromatic as-indacene moiety, which has not
been isolated to date,[20] also makes 6a a fascinating hydro-
carbon.
[*] Dr. A. Shimizu, Prof. Y. Tobe
Division of Frontier Materials Science
Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University
1-3 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka 560-8531 (Japan)
Fax: (+81)6-6850-6229
Le Berre et al. synthesized the 11,12-diphenyl derivative
6b[21] which exhibited an absorption maximum at 556 nm.
However, 6b turned out to be highly reactive toward
oxygen[22] and therefore its molecular structure and detailed
electronic structures, such as electrochemical behavior and
ring-current effect, have not been investigated. In addition, a
series of reports by Le Berre et al. in the mid-1950s are the
E-mail: tobe@chem.es.osaka-u.ac.jp
[**] This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research
from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and
Technology (Japan) and a Sasakawa Scientific Research Grant from
the Japan Science Society.
Supporting information for this article is available on the WWW
under http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.201101950.
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Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 6906 –6910

only experimental descriptions of this hydrocarbon system,
and there is merely one report on the theoretical work.[23] In
the present study, we synthesized an air-stable derivative,
11,12-dimesitylindeno[2,1-a]fluorene (6c), of which mesityl
groups were introduced owing to the prospect of steric
protection, and determined its crystal and electronic struc-
tures, and optical as well as electrochemical properties.
Scheme 1 shows the synthetic procedure for 6c. The
known diketone 13[24] was converted to diol 14[25] by addition
of mesitylmagnesium bromide. Dehydroxylation of 14 with
Scheme 1. Synthesis of 6c. Mes: 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl, TFA: trifluoro-
acetic acid.
tin(II) chloride in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid gave 6c
as a purple solid. In contrast to the high reactivity of 6b, 6c
was found to be very stable in the solid state and even in
solution under ambient conditions. A dichloromethane solu-
tion of 6c showed no degradation under air and light for a
week, and no reaction with maleic anhydride was observed
when it was heated in toluene at 1008C under an argon
atmosphere.
Recrystallization of 6c from an acetonitrile solution gave
purple prisms suitable for X-ray crystallography. There are
two crystallographically independent molecules (molecule A
and molecule B; Figure 1).[26] The largest difference between
the two molecules is the torsion angles of the s-cis diene
moiety (1.78 for molecule A, and 15.28 for molecule B). There
is no other significant difference between the two molecules,
thus we use their mean values in the following discussion (see
Table S4 in Supporting Information). The indeno[2,1-a]fluo-
rene framework of 6c is almost planar and the two mesityl
groups form a large dihedral angle of approximately 708 with
the backbone. Expectedly, the methyl groups sterically shield
C11 and C12. There are three possible resonance contributors
for 6c: 1) a [20]annulene with alternating single and double
bonds along the periphery, 2) a dibenzo-fused [12]annulene,
that is, as-indacene with alternating single and double bonds,
and 3) a dibenzo-bridged oQDM (Figure S6 in Supporting
Information).
The crystal structure of 6c shows that there is significant
bond-length alternation in the oQDM unit: the bonds
denoted by a and c[27] (1.391(2) and 1.359(3) ꢁ, respectively)
have substantial double-bond character, whereas the bonds
denoted by b, d, and e (1.480(2), 1.431(3), and 1.454(2) ꢁ,
respectively) have single-bond character (Table 1; Scheme ).
On the other hand, the peripheral benzene rings are
delocalized (bonds g–l, 1.391–1.410 ꢁ), and the bonds
denoted by f and m have single-bond character (1.475(2)
and 1.463(3) ꢁ, respectively). These bond lengths show
excellent agreement with the theoretical values (Table S4 in
Supporting Information) and the previously studied bond
orders of 6a.[23] The geometrical structure of 6c should
Figure 1. ORTEP drawings of 6c measured at 113 K: a) top view and
b) side view of molecule A, and c) top view and d) side view of
molecule B. Displacement ellipsoids are drawn at the 50% probability
level.
Table 1: Calculated and experimentally determined bond lengths [ꢀ] of
the oQDM units of 6c, oQDM, and the previously isolated oQDMs 11
and 12.
Calculated data[b]
X-ray data
Bond[a]
6c
oQDM
6c[e]
11[c]
12[d]
a
b
c
d
e
1.390
1.476
1.362
1.436
1.459
1.353
1.462
1.352
1.451
1.497
1.391(2)
1.480(2)
1.359(3)
1.431(3)
1.454(2)
1.346(6)[e]
1.484(7)[e]
1.417(7)[e]
1.491(7)
1.356(11)[e]
1.448(12)[e]
1.339(12)[e]
1.424(14)
1.475(11)
1.493(7)
[a] Bond positions are shown in Scheme 2. [b] Calculated at the RB3LYP/
6-31G(d) level. [c] Ref. [18]. [d] Ref. [19]. [e] Mean value.
therefore be regarded as an oQDM bridged with two
appended benzene rings.
However, more detailed examination of the bond lengths
leads to some modification of the geometrical structures.
Bond a in 6c is longer than a regular C(sp2)–C(sp2) double
bond (1.349 ꢁ),[28] the corresponding bond of oQDM calcu-
Scheme 2. Resonance structures of oQDM and 6a.
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lated at the RB3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory, and those of
indicates the antiaromatic character of the as-indacene
moiety. NICS calculation supports the experimental results.
The NICS(1) (NICS(1)zz[37]) value for the peripheral benzene
rings of 6a is À6.17 (À12.62), which is indicative of aromatic
character. Conversely, those for the central benzene ring and
five-membered rings are + 2.12 (+ 22.02) and + 4.28
(+13.81), respectively, indicating a weak antiaromatic char-
acter of the as-indacene moiety (Table S8 in Supporting
Information).
the previously isolated oQDMs (11: 1.346(6)[18] and 12:
1.356(11) ꢁ,[19] mean values). The bond-length elongation
reminds us of the discussion in connection with Thieleꢀs and
Chichibabinꢀs hydrocarbons.[15] Unusual bond lengths in
Chichibabinꢀs hydrocarbon were explained in terms of a
manifestation of biradical character. Indeed, the singlet
biradical character of oQDM has been
a subject of
study.[11d,29] We thus calculated the electronic structure of
6a. The frontier molecular orbitals of 6a have large coef-
ficients at C11 and C12 (Figure S7 in the Supporting
Information). In addition, the HOMO–LUMO energy gap
of 6a is relatively small (2.25 eV, Table S5 in the Supporting
Information). The large spatial overlap between the HOMO
and LUMO and small HOMO–LUMO energy gap are
characteristic of compounds having singlet biradical charac-
ter.[30] The singlet biradical character (y) of 6a and oQDM
was calculated by the natural orbital occupation number
(NOON) of the LUMO in a spin-unrestricted calculation.[31]
The broken-symmetry UHF/6-31G(d) calculations of 6a and
oQDM gave LUMO occupation numbers of 0.61 and 0.50,
respectively. Using the Yamaguchi scheme,[32] the indices for
singlet biradical character of 6a and oQDM were estimated to
be 0.33 and 0.21, respectively. The spin density distribution of
6a was calculated at the UBHandHLYP/6-31G(d) level of
theory. As in the frontier molecular orbitals, C11 and C12
exhibit the largest spin density of a and b spins, respectively
(Figure S10 and Table S6 in Supporting Information). In
addition, the spin density distribution of 6a is quite similar to
that of oQDM. Based on these theoretical investigations, 6a
should be described as a combination of Kekulꢂ and singlet
biradical canonical structures as shown in Scheme 2. The fact
that the singlet biradical character of 6a is more pronounced
than that of oQDM would be manifested by the elongation of
bond a, which is most susceptible to the contribution weight of
the canonical resonance structure shown in Scheme 2.[33]
The optical and electrochemical properties of 6c suggest
that, in spite of the relatively small p conjugation, 6c has a
very small HOMO–LUMO energy gap. The electronic
absorption spectrum of 6c showed low-energy bands at
730 nm (e = 790mÀ1 cmÀ1) and 537 nm (e = 15200mÀ1 cmÀ1
;
Figure 2). The wavelength of the lowest-energy absorption is
Figure 2. UV/Vis spectrum of 6c in CH2Cl2.
longer than that of 3b (594 nm[5]) and pentacene (582 nm[38]),
a representative of hydrocarbons consisting of five fused-ring
with a small HOMO–LUMO energy gap. TD-DFT calcula-
tions show that both of the bands involve transitions from
HOMO to LUMO and HOMO-1 to LUMO (Table S10 in the
Supporting Information). The HOMO–LUMO energy gap
based on optical properties was thus roughly estimated to be
1.70 eV. Similar to 3, no fluorescence was observed. The cyclic
voltammogram of 6c exhibits two reversible redox waves
1
The temperature dependence of H NMR signals is an
experimental indicator of singlet biradical character because
a thermally excited triplet species causes broadening of
signals. For example, bis-phenalenyl hydrocarbons[6] and
anthenes[34] showed signal broadening with an increase in
temperature, and the temperature at which the broadening of
the signals was observed exhibited a good correlation with the
calculated biradical character. However, no temperature
(Eox = + 0.59 V, Ered = À1.51 V (V vs. Fc/Fc+); Eredox
=
1
dependence was observed in the H NMR spectra of 6c in
2.10 V), from which we estimate the electrochemical
HOMO–LUMO energy gap of 2.10 eV (Figure S13 in Sup-
porting Information). These values are in good agreement
with the calculated value of 2.27 eV.
[D6]DMSO when the solution was heated from 30 to 758C
(Figures S11 and S12 in the Supporting Information), indicat-
ing that the singlet–triplet energy gap of 6c is relatively large
and that the biradical character of 6c is too small to affect the
NMR spectra.[35]
In conclusion, we have synthesized and isolated an air-
stable oQDM, 11,12-dimesitylindeno[2,1-a]fluorene (6c).
Examination of the bond lengths indicates that 6c contains
an oQDM structure. Detailed examination of the bond
lengths and theoretical calculations indicate some singlet
biradical character of 6c. NICS calculation and chemical
shifts in the 1H NMR spectrum suggest that 6c is weakly
antiaromatic as a result of the as-indacene moiety. Despite the
limited p conjugation, 6c shows low-energy absorptions and
excellent electrochemical properties. These findings suggest
that indeno[2,1-a]fluorene derivatives are potential candi-
1
The chemical shifts of 6c in the H NMR spectrum are a
good indicator of aromaticity. The protons of 6c are observed
at higher magnetic field than those of 14 (Figures S1 and S3,
and Table S7 in Supporting Information). The upfield shift of
the protons in the central benzene ring is larger than that of
the protons in the peripheral benzene rings by roughly
0.45 ppm. In addition, the Gꢃnther Q value[36] of the
peripheral benzene ring, which is calculated from the 3J
values of 7.35 and 7.4 Hz, is 1.01; this is smaller than 1.04 and
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Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 6906 –6910

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biradicals, such as two-photon absorption.[39]
Received: March 19, 2011
Published online: June 15, 2011
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Keywords: acenes · antiaromaticity · polycycles ·
quinodimethanes · radicals
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Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 6906 –6910
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0.18) (Table S4 in Supporting Information). The calculated
lengths of bond a in oQDM and 15a are quite similar, indicating
the effect of the five-membered ring is negligibly small. The
comparison of the bond lengths in 6a and 6c, or 15a and 15b
indicates that the steric repulsion between the mesityl groups
elongates the bond a by about 0.015 ꢁ. X-ray analysis shows that
bond a in 6c is longer than that in previously isolated oQDMs, 11
and 12 by 0.045, and 0.035 ꢁ, respectively. Thus the elongation of
about 0.02 ꢁ would be due to the increase of the singlet biradical
character.
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[35] The value of DES-T for 6c was estimated to be 6820 K
(56.7 kJmolÀ1) at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level.
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