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Deciphering rich non-covalent interactions that govern many chemical and biological processes is crucial for the design of drugs and controlling molecular assemblies and their chemical transformations. However, real-space characterization of these weak interactions in complex molecular architectures at the single bond level has been a longstanding challenge. Here, we employed bond-resolved scanning probe microscopy combined with an exhaustive structural search algorithm and quantum chemistry calculations to elucidate multiple non-covalent interactions that control the cohesive molecular clustering of well-designed precursor molecules and their chemical reactions. The presence of two flexible bromo-triphenyl moieties in the precursor leads to the assembly of distinct non-planar dimer and trimer clusters by manifold non-covalent interactions, including hydrogen bonding, halogen bonding, C–H⋯π and lone pair⋯π interactions. The dynamic nature of weak interactions allows for transforming dimers into energetically more favourable trimers as molecular density increases. The formation of trimers also facilitates thermally-triggered intermolecular Ullmann coupling reactions, while the disassembly of dimers favours intramolecular cyclization, as evidenced by bond-resolved imaging of metalorganic intermediates and final products. The richness of manifold non-covalent interactions offers unprecedented opportunities for controlling the assembly of complex molecular architectures and steering on-surface synthesis of quantum nanostructures., A real-space characterization of dynamic non-covalent interactions in molecular assemblies and chemical reactions at the atomic bond level.

Liquid crystal (LC) provides a suitable platform to exploit structural motions of molecules in a condensed phase. Amplification of the structural changes enables a variety of technologies not only in LC displays but also in other applications. Until very recently, however, a practical use of LCs for removable adhesives has not been explored, although a spontaneous disorganization of LC materials can be easily triggered by light-induced isomerization of photoactive components. The difficulty of such application derives from the requirements for simultaneous implementation of sufficient bonding strength and its rapid disappearance by photoirradiation. Here we report a dynamic molecular LC material that meets these requirements. Columnar-stacked V-shaped carbon frameworks display sufficient bonding strength even during heating conditions, while its bonding ability is immediately lost by a light-induced self-melting function. The light-melt adhesive is reusable and its fluorescence colour reversibly changes during the cycle, visualizing the bonding/nonbonding phases of the adhesive., Liquid crystals are used in many applications, such as removable adhesives, but this requires both good bonding strength, and its rapid disappearance under an external stimulus. Here, Saito and others report a dynamic liquid crystal material that loses is bonding strength under photo irradiation.

A polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon having a twisted cyclooctatetraene (COT) core was prepared by a formal [4+4] dimerization of an in situ generated indeno[2,1-a]fluorene derivative. The compound consists of two indenofluorene frameworks connected with two double bonds and adopts a twisted geometry to avoid intramolecular steric repulsion. It exhibits a long-wavelength absorption band with a maximum at 634 nm extending to about 850 nm, which is consistent with the moderate antiaromaticity of the twisted COT ring as indicated by the NICS value (+11.9). A mechanism for cycloaddition reaction is proposed in terms of stepwise bond formations due to the diradical character of the indenofluorene framework, on the basis of the completely different reaction product obtained from the extended benzo analogue.

Single crystals of hybrid materials based on 1D lead iodide perovskite networks with two pyridine (Py) derivatives, namely 4-ethyl (4Et)Py and 4-aminomethyl (4AM)Py, have been prepared. The compounds assembled into edge-shared lead iodide chains that formed needle-shaped crystals with lengths greater than 1 cm. The crystal containing (4Et)Py formed in the triclinic system with P1 symmetry. The molecules were stacked along with the novel triple chain of 1D perovskite-derived networks. The crystal containing 4AMPy formed in the monoclinic system with P21/a symmetry. The amino group formed hydrogen bonds to iodide anions. The optical band gaps for the 4EtPy-based and 4AMPy-based crystals were estimated to be 2.73 eV and 2.64 eV, respectively. The slight difference between the functional groups of the two molecules governed their crystal structures and hence optical properties.

A tetramesityl derivative of hitherto unknown tetracyclopenta[def,jkl,pqr,vwx]tetraphenylene (TCPTP), which is a potential tetraradicaloid hydrocarbon, was synthesized. Theoretical calculations based on spin-flip time-dependent density functional theory predict that the closed-shell D2h form of TCPTP is more stable than the open-shell D4h form with its slightly tetraradical character. The tetramesityl derivative (Mes)4 -TCPTP exhibits remarkable antiaromaticity as a result of the peripheral 20-π-electron circuit, which causes an absorption maximum at a long wavelength and a small HOMO-LUMO gap. In solution, (Mes)4 -TCPTP most likely adopts rapidly equilibrating D2h structures that interconvert via the D4h transition state. X-ray crystallographic analysis showed (Mes)4 -TCPTP as an approximate D2h structure.

A reproducible formation of strongly bent crystals was accomplished by structurally restraining macrocyclic π-conjugated molecules. The model π-units consist of two 9,10-bis(2-thienylethynyl)anthracenes with a strong propensity for stacking, which are connected in a macrocyclic fashion via two alkylene linkers. The correlation between the crystalline morphology and the macrocyclic structures restrained by a variety of flexible alkylene linker combinations was systematically studied. Bent crystals were obtained only with specific alkylene linkers of appropriate chain length. The alkylene linkers can adopt different conformations in the crystal packing, so as to fill voids within the macrocycle. The ability to form several similar molecular structures with different alkylene conformations gives rise to contaminations of different crystalline phases within a single crystal, and it is these phase contaminations which are responsible for the bending of the crystals.

Treatment of a twisted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon containing cyclooctatetraene fused by two 9,9′-bifluorenylidene units under the Scholl reaction conditions (FeCl3 or 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone and scandium trifluoromethanesulfonate) led to stepwise skeletal rearrangements to afford initially a hydrocarbon with a seven-membered ring and then tetrabenzo[a,d,j,m]coronene with all six-membered rings. The course of the rearrangement was interpreted in terms of the acid-catalyzed isomerization of 9,9′-bifluorenylidene into dibenzo[g,p]chrysene moieties on the basis of theoretical investigations.

Biphenylophane 1 bridged by acetylene and diacetylene linkages was synthesized. X-ray analysis revealed its highly deformed diacetylene unit with a bond angle of 160°. Enantiomers of 1 resolved by chiral HPLC underwent facile racemization with an activation energy of 90.6 kJ mol(-1). Transannular cyclization of 1 was induced by heating to generate benzyne intermediate 8, which was intercepted by furan to give 9, and by treatment with bromine to give dibromodibenzopicene (10).

Singlet biradicaloids are certainly one of the most frequently discussed topics at ISNA-15. In this review our own work on the synthesis, molecular structures, and physical properties relevant to biradical character of indenofluorene isomers are described. These include indeno[2,1-a]fluorene with an o-quinodimethane substructure, benz[c]indeno[2,1-a]fluorene which is the first 2,3-naphthoquinodimethane derivative isolated, and indeno[2,1-b]fluorene with an m-quinodimethane (m-xylylene) subunit. The observed physical properties are explained in terms of the theoretically derived biradical factors (y), HOMO-LUMO energy gaps, and singlet-triplet energy gaps in the ground state electronic configurations. In addition, we discuss here two perspectives in the biradicaloid chemistry, (i) two- and three-dimensional indenofluorene congeners arranged in a macrocyclic form and (ii) macrocyclic indenofluorenes having multiple radical characters.

Synthesis of 13,14-dimesitylbenz[c]indeno[2,1-a]fluorene (9b), a 2,3-naphthoquinodimethane derivative isolated for the first time, was achieved. The X-ray crystallographic structure and spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of 9b indicate substantial singlet biradical character which is higher than that of 11,12-dimesitylindeno[2,1-a]fluorene (8b), in accord with the quantum chemical study. Cycloadditions with oxygen and dichlorodicyano-p-benzoquinone took place at the inner naphthalene carbons rather than the most reactive exocyclic carbons because of the effective steric protection by the mesityl groups at the latter positions. [4 + 2] Cyclodimerization also took place at the inner naphthalene position as a 4π component and at the outer naphthalene ring as a 2π component.

Treatment of octadehydrotribenzo[14]annulene ([14]DBA) with bromine or iodine gave the corresponding tetrahalo-substituted benzodiindenocyclooctatetraenes selectively via tandem twofold transannula...

The preparation of various types of one-dimensional (1D) organic–inorganic hybrid lead iodide perovskites was demonstrated. By carefully selecting the organic components, we fabricated face-shared 1D lead iodide of hybrid perovskites. Crystals with lengths from 100 µm to 25 mm were obtained by controlling the temperature and rate of cooling. In spite of the same dimensionality of the perovskite structures, the crystals exhibited different optical properties. This work should provide a novel design principle for perovskite structures with potential applications as optical materials.

“Kekulene” is a doughnut-like shaped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon consisting of cyclically arrayed benzene rings. It has attracted a great deal of theoretical interest because it is regarded as an ideal model to study conjugation circuits of π electrons, i.e. whether they delocalize locally in benzene rings or globally throughout the molecule. Though kekulene was synthesized in 1978, it was the only known compound of this class of compounds for a long time. Recently, new kekulene-related molecules, septulene, which is a non-alternant benzenoid hydrocarbon, and a tetracyclopentatetraphenylene (TCPTP) derivative belonging to non-alternant non-benzenoid hydrocarbons, were synthesized. This article presents theoretical and experimental aspects of kekulene-related molecules focusing on the viewpoint of conjugation circuits by classifying them into three types: benzenoid kekulenes including kekulene itself and septulene, yet unknown anti-kekulene and non-alternant non-benzenoid kekulenes represented by TCPTP.

Compound (I), a derivative of the hitherto unknown title compound which is a potential tetraradicaloid hydrocarbon, is synthesized in five steps starting from a known polycyclic tetracarboxylic acid (synthetic pathway not shown).

“Kekulene” is a doughnut-like shaped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon consisting of cyclically arrayed benzene rings. It has attracted a great deal of theoretical interest because it is regarded as an ideal model to study conjugation circuits of π electrons, i.e. whether they delocalize locally in benzene rings or globally throughout the molecule. Though kekulene was synthesized in 1978, it was the only known compound of this class of compounds for a long time. Recently, new kekulene-related molecules, septulene, which is a non-alternant benzenoid hydrocarbon, and a tetracyclopentatetraphenylene (TCPTP) derivative belonging to non-alternant non-benzenoid hydrocarbons, were synthesized. This article presents theoretical and experimental aspects of kekulene-related molecules focusing on the viewpoint of conjugation circuits by classifying them into three types: benzenoid kekulenes including kekulene itself and septulene, yet unknown anti-kekulene and non-alternant non-benzenoid kekulenes represented by TCPTP.

Review: synthesis, molecular structures, and physical properties relevant to biradical character of indenofluorene isomers; 60 refs.

A new class of propel- ler-shaped compound (4), which consisted of dehydrobenzo[14]annulene ([14]DBA) blades, as well as its naphtho homologues (5 and 6), have been prepared. Although NMR studies of compound 4 did not provide useful information regarding its conformation in solution, DFT calculations with different functionals and the 6-31G* basis set all indicated that the D(3)-symmetric structure was energetically more favorable than the C(2) conformer. From X-ray crystallographic analysis, it appeared that compound 4 adopted a propeller-shaped-, approximately D(3)-symmetric structure in the solid state, in which the [14]DBA blades were twisted substantially owing to steric repulsion between the neighboring benzene rings. On the contrary, in the case of compound 6, although the DFT calculations with the B3LYP functional predicted that the D(3)-symmetric conformation was more stable, calculations with the M05 and M05-2X functionals indicated that the C(2) conformer was more favorable because of π-π interactions between the naphthalene units of a pair of neighboring blades. Indeed, X-ray analysis of compound 6 showed that it adopted an approximately C(2)-symmetric conformation. Moreover, on the basis of variable-temperature (1)H NMR measurements, we found that compound 6 adopted a C(2) conformation and the barrier for interconversion between the C(2)-C(2) conformers was estimated to be 16.2 kcal mol(-1); however, no indication of the presence of the D(3) isomer was obtained. The relatively small energy barriers to interconversion, despite the large overlapping of neighboring blades, was ascribed to the flexibility of the acetylene linkages, which could be deformed substantially in the transition state of the ring-flip.