Direct transformation of <i>n</i>-alkane into all-<i>trans</i> conjugated polyene via cascade dehydrogenation
Xuechao Li, Kaifeng Niu, Junjie Zhang, Xiaojuan Yu, Haiming Zhang, Yuemin Wang, Qing Guo, Pengdong Wang, Fangsen Li, Zheng‐Ming Hao, Chaojie Xu, Yanning Tang, Zhichao Xu, Shuai Lu, Peng Liu, Guigu Xue, Yen Wei, Lifeng Chi
Abstract
Abstract Selective C(sp3) −H activation is of fundamental importance in processing alkane feedstocks to produce high-value-added chemical products. By virtue of an on-surface synthesis strategy, we report selective cascade dehydrogenation of n-alkane molecules under surface constraints, which yields monodispersed all-trans conjugated polyenes with unprecedented length controllability. We are also able to demonstrate the generality of this concept for alkyl-substituted molecules with programmable lengths and diverse functionalities, and more importantly its promising potential in molecular wiring.