Functionalized Hydrocarbon Belts: Synthesis, Structure and Properties
Yi Peng, Shuo Tong, Yang Zhang, Mei‐Xiang Wang
Abstract
Abstract Hydrocarbon belts have drawn great attention because of their unique structures and tantalizing properties. Although a few belts and heteroatom‐doped analogs have been synthesized, belt molecules containing non‐hexagonal rings remain rare. Herein we report the construction and application of unprecedented zigzag‐type hydrocarbon belts which contain functionalized eight‐membered rings. The synthesis features fourfold intramolecular acylation reactions of resorcin[4]arene‐derived intermediates, which affords C 4 ‐symmetric tetrabenzobelt[4]arene[4]cyclooctatrienones. Stereoselective ketone reduction with LiAlH 4 and nucleophilic addition with alkynyllithiums provide the corresponding tetrahydroxylated belts. The tetraol and its methyl ether are powerful and selective hosts to form 2 : 1 and 1 : 1 complexes with cesium ion, respectively, with binding constants up to (1.71±0.33)×10 11 M −2 and (1.50±0.16)×10 6 M −1 . In addition, enantiopure C 4 ‐symmetric belts can emit CPL with | g lum | being around 0.01.