K. M¸llen et al.
FULL PAPER
48H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl3): d 157.7, 142.2, 142.0, 141.30, 140.27,
absorption over the complete visible range of the electronic
spectrum, with a maximum of the band at approximately
765 nm. The broad and unstructured pattern of the band can
be explained by the large number of electronic transitions
taking place in this giant PAH, which leads to the continuum-
like appearance in the visible range.
In summary, this successful synthesis of the so far largest
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon represents an important step
towards improved graphite model structures. It shows on one
side the efficiency but on the other side also the limits of the
synthetic concept employed, of planarizing large soluble
oligophenylene precursors to polycyclic aromatic hydrocar-
bons. The removal of 108 hydrogens from one molecule
represented a challenge in its own right but being able to
analyze and characterize the resulting product precisely by
MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry was also a prerequisite,
showing how strongly synthetic chemistry depends on the
advances of analytical methods.
140.1, 131.9, 131.8, 131.6, 131.2, 130.3, 130.1, 128.0, 127.5, 127.3, 127.0, 126.7,
126.2, 125.8, 123.6, 119.3, 90.1; FD-MS: m/z (%): 938.1 (100) [M] ; elemental
analysis calcd (%) for C74H50: C 94.63, H 5.37; found: C 92.01, H 5.22.
1,2,3,4,5,6-Hexakis(4',5',6'-triphenyl-1,1':2',1''terphenyl)benzene (1) by cy-
clotrimerization: Di(4',5',6'-triphenyl-1,1':2',1''terphenyl)acetylene (7;
500 mg, 0.533 mmol) was dissolved in dioxane (100 mL) and degassed.
Then dicobaltoctacarbonyl (118 mg, 0.35 mmol) was added under argon
and the reaction mixture was refluxed for 15 h. After evaporating the
solvent, the crude product was purified by column chromatography on
silica gel with petroleum ether/ethylacetate (8:2) to afford 1 (355 mg, 71%)
1
as colorless solid. M.p. >3008C; H NMR (500 MHz, CDCl3): d 7.44 (s,
6H), 7.14 7.11 (m, 30H), 6.90 6.60 (m, 90H), 6.62 (d, 3J 8.14 Hz, 12H),
6.36 (d, 3J 8.14, 12H); 13C NMR (125 MHz, CDCl3): d 141.78, 141.67,
140.63, 140.54, 140.45, 140.08, 140.01, 139.92, 139.12, 139.00, 138.44, 138.13,
131.65, 131.56, 131.53, 131.17, 129.96, 128.33, 127.51, 126.85, 126.74, 126.53,
126.18, 125.51, 125.26; FD-MS: m/z (%): 2815.4 (100) [M] ; elemental
analysis calcd (%) for C222H150: C 94.63, H 5.37; found: C 94.05, H 5.83.
4,4'-Di-(triisopropylsilylethinyl)tolane (5b): 4,4'-Dibromotolane (4; 8 g,
23.8 mmol), copper(i) iodide(0.91 g, 4.8 mol), triphenylphosphine (1.25 g,
4.77 mmol) and bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(ii) dichloride (1.7 g,
2.3 mmol) were dissolved under inert atmosphere in triethylamine
(140 mL) and toluene (70 mL). Triisopropylsilylacetylene (10.42 g,
57.13 mmol) were added and the reaction mixture was stirred for 5 h at
808C. After cooling, the solution was poured into CH2Cl2 (300 mL) and 6m
HCl (200 mL). The organic phase was separated, washed with saturated
ammonium chloride solution and water, and dried over magnesium sulfate.
After evaporating the solvent, the crude product was purified by column
chromatography on silica gel with petroleum ether to afford 5b (9.53 g,
74%) as colorless solid. M.p. 1088C; 1H NMR (500 MHz, CD2Cl2): d 7.51
(m, 8H), 1.20 (m, 42H); 13C NMR (75 MHz, CD2Cl2): d 135.1, 134.5,
Experimental Section
General methods: 1H NMR and 13C NMR were recorded in CDCl3 and
CD2Cl2 on a Bruker DPX 250, Bruker 300 AMX and Bruker 500 DRX with
use of the solvent proton or carbon signal as internal standard. FD mass
spectra were obtained on a VG Instruments ZAB 2-SE-FPD. MALDI-
TOF mass spectra were measured on a Bruker Reflex II-TOF spectrometer
126.7, 125.9, 109.6, 96.3, 94.1, 21.8, 14.4; FD-MS: m/z (%): 538.2 (100) [M] ;
using
a 337 nm nitrogen laser and 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane
elemental analysis calcd (%) for C36H50Si2: C 80.23, H 9.35; found: C 80.01,
H 9.50.
(TCNQ) as matrix. UV/Vis spectra were recorded on a Perkin Elmer
Lambda 9 machine. Elemental analysis was carried out on a Foss Heraeus
Vario EL. Chemicals were obtained from Fluka, Aldrich and Strem and
used as received.
1,2,3,4,5,6-Hexakis[4-(triisopropylsilylethinyl)phenyl]benzene (9): 4,4'-
Di(triisopropylsilylethinyl)tolane (5b; 565 mg, 1.05 mmol) and 2,3,4,5-
tetrakis-[4-(triisopropylsilylethinyl)phenyl]-cyclopentadienone (8; 1.26 g,
1.15 mmol) were dissolved in diphenyl ether (7 mL) and heated under an
argon atmosphere for 11 d at 2008C. After cooling CH2Cl2 (10 mL) was
added, the solution was slowly poured into methanol (100 mL) and the
precipitate was filtered. The crude product was again dissolved in CH2Cl2
(10 mL) and precipitated in methanol (250 mL). After drying in vacuo, 9
(1.23 g, 72%) was afforded as pale yellow solid. M.p. >3008C; 1H NMR
(200 MHz, CDCl3): d 7.05 (d, J 8.0 Hz, 12H), 6.73 (d, J 8.0 Hz, 12H),
1.10 (m, 126H); 13C NMR (50 MHz, CDCl3): d 140.5, 140.4, 131.4, 121.2,
Synthesis
4,4'-Di(trimethylsilylethinyl)tolane (5a): 4,4'-Dibromotolane (4; 10 g,
29 mmol), copper(i) iodide (1.13 g, 5.9 mol), triphenylphosphine (0.77 g,
2.93 mmol) and bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(ii) dichloride (0.7 g)
were dissolved under inert atmosphere in piperidine (200 mL). Trimethyl-
silylacetylene (8.76 g, 89.3 mmol) was added and the reaction mixture was
stirred for 5 h at 808C. After cooling, the solution was poured into CH2Cl2
(300 mL) and 6m HCl (200 mL). The organic phase was separated, washed
with saturated ammonium chloride solution and water, and dried over
magnesium sulfate. After evaporating the solvent, the crude product was
purified by column chromatography on silica gel with petroleum ether/
ethylacetate (9:1) to afford 5a (5.9 g, 93%) as colorless crystals. M.p.
107.8, 90.8, 19.1, 11.8; FD-MS: m/z (%): 1617.3 (100) [M] ; elemental
analysis calcd (%) for C108H150Si6: C 80.23, H 9.35; found: C 80.01, H 9.42.
1,2,3,4,5,6-Hexakis[4-ethinylphenyl]benzene (10): 1,2,3,4,5,6-Hexakis[4-
(triisopropylsilylethinyl)phenyl] benzene (9; 400 mg, 0.25 mmol) was
dissolved in THF (30 mL). To this solution tetrabutylammonium fluoride
trihydrate (700 mg, 2.23 mmol) in THF (10 mL) was added. After 2 h,
CH2Cl2 (500 mL) was added, the organic phase washed with water (2 Â
200 mL) and dried over MgSo4. After evaporating the solvent, the crude
product was purified by column chromatography on silica gel with
petroleum ether/CH2Cl2 (1:1) to afford 10 (150 mg, 89%) as colorless
1
1338C; H NMR (200 MHz, CDCl3): d 7.44 (s, 4H), 7.43 (s, 4H), 0.25 (s,
18H); 13C NMR (125 MHz, CDCl3): d 132.0, 131.5, 123.2, 123.1, 104.7,
96.5, 91.0, 0.0; FD-MS: m/z (%): 369.9 (100) [M] .
4,4'-Di(ethinyl)tolane (3): 4,4'-Di(trimethylsilylethinyl)tolane (5a; 2 g,
5.4 mmol) was dissolved in dimethylformamide (400 mL). After adding
potassium fluoride (0.78 g), dissolved in water (1 mL), the reaction mixture
was stirred for 1 h at room temperature. Then CH2Cl2 (400 mL) was added,
the organic phase washed with 6m HCl and saturated ammonium chloride
solution and dried over MgSO4. After evaporating the solvent, the crude
product was purified by column chromatography on silica gel with CH2Cl2
to afford 3 (1.0 g, 83%) as colorless crystals. M.p. 1888C; 1H NMR
(250 MHz, CDCl3): d 7.47 (m, 8H), 3.17 (s, 2H); 13C NMR (75 MHz,
CDCl3): d 132.6, 132.0, 123.9, 122.7, 91.3, 83.7, 79.5; FD-MS: m/z (%):
1
solid. M.p. >3008C; H NMR (200 MHz, CD2Cl2): d 7.04 (d, J 8.0 Hz,
12H), 6.73 (d, J 8.0 Hz, 12H), 3.00 (s, 6H); 13C NMR (50 MHz, CD2Cl2);
d 141.3, 140.6, 131.9, 131.5, 120.3, 84.0, 77.9; FD-MS: m/z (%): 678.3 (100)
[M] ; elemental analysis calcd (%) for C54H30: C 95.53, H 4.45; found: C
95.08, H 4.29.
1,2,3,4,5,6-Hexakis(4',5',6'-triphenyl-1,1':2',1''terphenyl)benzene (1) by
Diels Alder: 1,2,3,4,5,6-Hexakis[4-ethinylphenyl]benzene (10; 1.13 g,
1.67 mmol) and tetraphenylcyclopentadienone (6; 5.77 g, 15.00 mmol)
were dissolved in diphenyl ether (40 mL) and heated under an argon
atmosphere for 2 h at 1908C. After cooling CH2Cl2 (30 mL) was added, the
solution was slowly poured into methanol (500 mL) and the precipitate was
filtered. After soxhlet extraction over night with pentane, 1 (4.2 g, 90%)
was afforded as white solid (for spectroscopical data see above).
226.1 (100) [M] ; elemental analysis calcd (%) for C18H10: C 95.55, H 4.45;
found: C 93.43, H 3.75.
Di-(4',5',6'-triphenyl-1,1':2',1''terphenyl)acetylene (7): 4,4'-Di(ethinyl)to-
lane (3; 520 mg, 2.48 mmol) and tetraphenylcyclopentadienone (6; 1.9 g,
4.95 mmol) were dissolved in diphenyl ether (10 mL) and heated under an
argon atmosphere for 11 h at 1708C. After cooling heptane (100 mL) was
added, the precipitate filtered and repeatedly washed with heptane. After
drying in vacuo, 7 (1.54 g, 66%) was afforded as pale yellow solid. M.p.
>3008C; 1H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl3): d 7.40 (s, 2H), 7.22 6.60 (m,
C222-PAH (2): Copper(ii) triflate (416 mg, 1.16 mmol) was dried com-
pletely under vacuum and heating. After cooling aluminium(iii) chloride
1428
¹ WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2002
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Chem. Eur. J. 2002, 8, No. 6