Flash vacuum thermolysis of biphenylene and diphenic anhydride. Formation of 6b,7,10,10a-tetrahydro-as-indaceno[1,8-jkl]fluoranthene. Evidence for the intermediacy of as-indacene on the C12H8 potential energy surface

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0040-4039(93)88119-4

Flash Vacuum Thermolysis (FVT) of biphenylene (1) and of diphenic anhydride (2) at 900 °C gave acenaphtylene (10), exo- and endo-6b,7,10,10a-tetrahydro-as-indaceno[1,8-jkl]fluoranthene (11) in high yield. The isolation of compound 11 provides evidence for the occurrence of the anti-aromatic as-indacene (8) on the C₁₂H₈ potential energy surface.