An Obtuse-angled Corner Unit for Fluctuating Carbon Nanohoops

The invention of corner units was the key factor that allowed the synthesis of cyclo-para-phenylenes with strained curved π-systems. Despite only a few scarce instances of the development of corner units to date, a variety of structural congeners have been synthesized. These preceding corner units commonly possessed directing angles of ≤90°, which enabled the macrocyclization of multiple units, up to six. In this study, we introduce an obtuse-angled corner unit for the synthesis of cyclo-para-phenylene congeners. The corner unit with oxanorbornadiene possessed a directing angle of 126° and thus allowed for the macrocyclization of larger structures with up to seven units. Reductive aromatization was applicable to complete the cyclo-para-phenylene structures and afforded the congeners with multiple anthracenylene panels. Structural studies with experimental and theoretical methods revealed a fluctuating structure with an intrinsic non-belt shape.