COMMUNICATIONS
Table 1. Spectroscopic data for selected compounds.
additional increase in the kink angle from 168 to 208 (PM3-
tm), qualitatively indicating that steric effects play a role.
These results are in interesting contrast to Vollhardtꢁs
[N]phenylenes, in which bending of the aromatic core is
likewise observed, but which is attributed solely to crystal
packing effects.[14b]
4a: Yield: 94%; dark red crystalline solid; m.p. >2008C (decomp); IR
1
(neat): nÄ 2924, 2361, 2342, 1458 cm 1; H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): d
3
4
3
7.73 (dd, JH,H 7.32 Hz, JH,H 1.7 Hz, 4H), 7.52 (dd, JH,H 7.32 Hz,
4JH,H 1.7 Hz, 4H), 7.42 (quint. d, 3JH,H 7.32 Hz, 4JH,H 1.7 Hz, 8H), 5.01
(s, 5H); 13C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): d 131.81, 131.17, 129.99, 129.90,
128.57, 124.33 (12C), 84.61 (5C), 93.48, 90.21, 80.00, 68.21 (12C), 62.83
(4C)
The cyclobutadiene ring in 4b is not square but rectangular,
according to X-ray diffraction data, suggesting some degree of
bond fixation induced by the annulation of the aromatic
[14]dehydroannulenes;[14, 15] the C1 C2 and C3 C4
(1.448(5) ) bonds are shorter than the C1 C3 and C2 C4
(1.472(5) ) bonds. While the bond fixation is not dramatic, it
supports the annulation of two Hückel-aromatic dehydroan-
nulenes onto the metal-complexed cyclobutadiene ring.
Aromaticity effects thus induce subtle changes in the geom-
etry of the normally square CpCo-stabilized cyclobutadiene.
This trend is clearly supported by the comparison of the
1H NMR data of 4c and its open precursor 8b. While in 8b the
signals of the vinyl protons appear at d 5.92 and 6.06, the
same protons resonate at d 6.34 and 6.72 in 4c, suggesting
that the newly formed dehydro[14]annulene is aromatic and
thus reduces the delocalization of the cyclobutadiene com-
plex.
In conclusion we have synthesized the organometallic
butterfly complexes 4a ± c by a combination of Pd- and Cu-
catalyzed coupling reactions and determined the molecular
structure of 4b as the first example of a structurally
characterized molecular topology that resembles that in
Jarroldꢁs perethynylated cyclobutadienes, which are fascinat-
ing intermediates en route to C60.[16] The extension of this
concept towards larger systems of higher unsaturation may
lead to the formation of fullerenes from cyclobutadiene-
containing precursors under appropriate matrix-assisted laser
desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) condi-
tions, similar to the coalescence of suitable cyclophynes
elegantly demonstrated independently by Rubin et al.[16] and
Tobe et al.[17]
4b: Yield: 55%; dark red crystalline solid; m.p. >2208C (decomp); IR
1
(neat): nÄ 2943, 2855, 2333, 2144, 1667, 1461, 1244 cm
;
1H NMR
3
(400 MHz, CDCl3): d 7.65 (d, JH,H 8.3 Hz, 4H), 7.53 (s, 4H), 7.43 (d,
3JH,H 8.3 Hz, 4H), 4.97 (s, 5H), 1.34 (s, 36H); 13C NMR (100 MHz,
CDCl3): d 151.18, 130.96, 127.45, 126.83, 126.52, 123.68 (24C), 92.98,
89.25, 84.52, 79.23 (16C), 83.91 (5C), 62.31 (4C), 35.17, 31.26 (16C); UV/
Vis (CHCl3): lmax (e) 296 (27530), 323 nm (22787)
4c: Yield: 88%; orange-red crystalline solid; m.p. >1908C (decomp); IR
1
(neat): nÄ 2956, 2333, 2167, 1644, 1584, 1450, 1400, 1100, 1017 cm
;
1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): d 7.65 (d, JH,H 8.2 Hz, 2H), 7.52 (d,
3
4JH,H 1.9 Hz, 2H), 7.42 (dd, JH,H 8.2 Hz, JH,H 1.9 Hz, 2H), 6.72 (d,
3JH,H 9.9 Hz, 2H), 6.34 (d, 3JH,H 9.9 Hz, 2H), 4.95 (s, 5H), 1.33 (s, 18H);
13C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): d 151.39, 130.98, 127.47, 126.56 (12C),
123.79, 116.87 (4C), 96.46, 94.01, 93.31, 88.68, 88.19, 84.44, 84.08, 79.20
(16C), 83.68 (5C), 63.33, 62.99 (4C), 35.19, 31.80 (8C); UV/Vis (CHCl3):
lmax (e) 333 nm (313)
3
4
5a: Yield: 82%; dark red oil; IR (neat): nÄ 3106, 2943, 2852, 2338, 2143,
1
3
1462, 1246 cm
;
1H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl3): d 7.49 (d, JH,H 8.2 Hz,
3
2H), 7.44 (s, 2H), 7.38 (d, JH,H 8.2 Hz, 2H), 4.93 (s, 5H), 1.31 (s, 18H),
1.14 (s, 42H), 0.05 (s, 18H); 13C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl3): d 150.80,
130.48, 127.13, 126.64, 126.32, 123.40 (12C), 100.78, 96.97, 92.21, 88.91
(8C), 83.60 (5C), 61.96, 61.38 (4C), 34.90, 30.99 (8C), 18.70, 11.11 (18C),
1.01 (6C); HRMS (EI): m/z: calcd for [M ] (C59H71CoSi2) 894.4426; found
894.4401
are fused to the tetraethynylcyclobutadiene core. The latter
demonstrates the versatility of the double annulation process.
All of the polycycles 4 are surprisingly stable and can be
stored under ambient conditions for extended periods of time
without polymerization or decomposition. If the cycles are
heated to temperatures above 1908C shiny-black, insoluble,
but amorphous materials form.
Attempts to obtain mass spectra of 4a ± c under electron
impact conditions failed due to their immedaite decomposi-
tion, but gratifyingly, the tert-butyl substituents increase the
propensity of 4b to develop high-quality single crystals. The
X-ray crystal structure of 4b is shown in Figure 1.[12] The bond
lengths and bond angles are in excellent agreement with
earlier values published for 6 (see Scheme 2),[10] but an
interesting aspect of the structure of 4b is its considerable
deviation from planarity in the solid state (Figure 1b). Two
planes, which are each defined by the central cyclobutadiene
ring and two of the four alkyne groups, are tilted by 138,
leading to a (net) kink of 268 of the two dehydroannulenes
with respect to each other. This tilt is considerably larger than
that in alkynylated and butadiynylated cyclobutadiene(tricar-
bonyl)iron complexes.[13] To establish whether the bending of
the large hydrocarbon ligand is a crystal packing effect or
ªrealº, we performed a semiempirical (PM3-tm, SPARTAN
PRO) calculation of 4a. In the computationally optimized
structure the tilting is even stronger, and the plane of the
cyclobutadiene complex is kinked away by 168 from the
dehydroannulene. Increasing the steric bulk of the cyclo-
pentadienyl ring through pentamethyl substitution leads to an
Experimental Section
4b: A round-bottom flask was charged[11] with 5a (0.098 g, 0.11 mmol),
tetramethylammonium fluoride (0.300 g, 10.9 mmol), DMSO (5 mL), and
diethyl ether (10 mL). The resulting mixture was stirred at 258C for 2 h.
Aqueous workup (diethyl ether) followed by removal of the solvent in
vacuo yielded 5b as a dark red oil. This was coupled immediately to 4-iodo-
3-(trimethylsilylethynyl)-1-tert-butylbenzene[18] (2b) (90 mg, 0.250 mmol)
under addition of [(PPh3)2PdCl2] (1.5 mg, 0.002 mmol), CuI (1.0 mg,
0.007 mmol), and piperidine (10 mL). The reaction mixture was purged
with N2 and stirred for 18 h at ambient temperature. Aqueous workup and
subsequent chromatography on silica gel with CH2Cl2/hexanes (1:1) yielded
pure 7a (R SiMe3; 34 mg, 30%) as a red oil. A round-bottom flask was
charged with 7a (34 mg, 0.033 mmol), K2CO3 (0.100 g, 0.72 mmol), THF
(3 mL), and methanol (10 mL). The resulting mixture was stirred at 258C
for 4 h. Aqueous workup with diethyl ether followed by removal of the
solvent in vacuo yielded 7b as a dark red oil (29 mg, 98%). Cu(OAc)2
(0.200 g, 1.10 mmol) and CH3CN (20 mL) were added to the oil 7b and the
reaction mixture was heated to 808C for 18 h. Aqueous workup and
chromatography on silica gel with CH2Cl2/hexanes (1:1) yielded pure 4b
(16 mg, 55%) as a dark red crystalline solid.
Received: December 28, 2000 [Z16341]
1462
ꢀ WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH, D-69451 Weinheim, 2001
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Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2001, 40, No. 8