Annulenes, protonation

The [14]-annulene proton ring current decreases from 4 to 97. This is also true for the carbon ring currents for both the methyl and bridge carbons but differently than from the protons. Note that in 47 and 91 the two methyl and the two bridge carbons are differentiated and lead to a fair variation in the determined ring current those for the corresponding protons are not significantly differentiated (47 d-(Me) —1.618 and —1.626). In this author s opinion, it is better to use proton data to compare aromaticities. Bird showed that there is no relationship between N NMR data and the aromaticity of a variety of heterocycles. 

Annulene satisfies the Huckel (4n+2) tt electron rule for aromaticity and many of its proper ties indicate aromaticity (Section 11 20) As shown in Figure 13 10a [18]annulene contains two different kinds of protons 12 he on the ring s periphery ( out side ) and 6 reside near the middle of the molecule ( inside ) The 2 1 ratio of outside/inside protons makes it easy to assign the signals in the NMR spectrum The outside protons have a chemical shift 8 of 9 3 ppm which makes them even less shielded than those of benzene The six inside protons on the... 

FIGURE 13 10 More shielded (red) and less shielded (blue) protons in (a) [18]annulene and (b) [16]annulene The induced magnetic field associated with the aromatic ring current in [18]annulene shields the inside protons and deshields the out side protons The opposite occurs in [16]annulene which is antiaromatic... 

Which would you predict to be more shielded the inner or outer protons of [24]annulene" 13 41 F IS the only isotope of fluonne that occurs naturally and it has a nuclear spin of j... 

The 7/NMR spectrum displays signals of shielded protons = - 2.35, integral level 1) and of deshielded ones = 10.45 and 9.39, integral levels 1 1). This reflects a ring current due to aromaticity as described for annulenes and porphyrins in section 2.5.2. To conclude, the reaction involves an oxidative cyclisatlon of 2,5-bis(2-pyrrolylmethyl)-17/-pyrrole 2 with 47/-trlazole-3,5-dlaldehyde 3 to the corresponding 2,3-diazaporphyrin 4, following the 3-t-l pathway of porphyrin synthesis. Two non-equivalent tautomers may exist these are the diaza[ 18]annulene 4a and the tetraaza[18]annulene 4b. 

The equivalence of the inner NH protons (Sm = - 2.35) as well as correlation signals with the pyrrolic carbons only (5c = 143.8, 141.6, 139.8 and 136.7) provide evidence for the diaza[18]-annulene tautomer 4a. Two separate NT/ proton signals and cross signals with the a-carbon atoms (5c = 159.3) of the triazole ring are expected, in contrast, for the tetraaza[18]annulene tautomer 4b. 

There are also examples of [18]annulene systems constructed around a saturated central core, such as in compound 4. In this compound, the internal protons are at very high field (—6 to —8 ppm), whereas the external protons are far downfield ( 9.5ppm). 

Consider the two structures shown for kekulene, one suggesting inner and outer annulenes, and the other a series of phenanthrene-like units. Indicate properties that you would expect to be associated with each structure. Proton NMR and bond-length data are given. How do they compare with your expectations ... 

Badger and coworkers devised a sequential synthesis of [ 18]annulene-l,4 7,10 l 3,16-trioxide which is formally the condensation product of three furan molecules and three ethylenes . The synthesis is illustrated below in Eq. (3.25). The [18]annulene trioxide was obtained as a red solid (mp 215—216 °d) whose proton nmr spectrum showed two peaks of equal area at 8.66 and 8.68 ppm. 

Another application of this method is the synthesis of 5,10-epoxy[10]annulene (7) from 2,3.6,7-tetrabromo-4a,8a-epoxydecahydronaphthalene.152-154 The byproduct is 1-benzoxepin (8). The 5,10-cpoxyannulcnc (7) incorporates the oxepin structure. The annulene can be converted to 1-benzoxepin by proton catalysis.153154... 

Oxido[10]annulene closely resembles l,6-methano[lOJannulene in many of its spectral properties, particularly in its proton magnetic resonance, ultraviolet, infrared, and electron spin resonance spectra,1 but is chemically less versatile than the hydrocarbon analog due to its relatively high sensitivity toward proton and Lewis acids. 

Thus, l,6-methano[10]annulene (77) and its oxygen and nitrogen analogs 78 and 79 have been prepared and are stable compounds that undergo aromatic substitution and are diatropic. For example, the perimeter protons of 77 are found at 6.9-7.3 5, while the bridge protons are at —0.5 5. The crystal structure of 77 shows that the perimeter is nonplanar, but the bond distances are in the range 1.37-1.42A. It has therefore been amply demonstrated that a closed loop of 10 electrons is an aromatic system, although some molecules that could conceivably have such a system are too distorted from planarity to be aromatic. A small distortion from planarity (as in 77) does not prevent aromaticity, at least in part because the s orbitals so distort themselves as to maximize the favorable (parallel) overlap of p... 

Annulene and dehydro[22]annulene are also diatropic. A dehydroben-zo[22]annulene has been prepared that has eight C=C units, is planar and possesses a weak induced ring current. In the latter compound there are 13 outer protons at 6.25-8.45 8 and 7 inner protons at 0.70-3.45 5. Some aromatic bridged [22]annu-lenes are also known. The [26]annulene has not yet been prepared, but several dehydro[26]annulenes are aromatic.Furthermore, the dianion of 1,3,7,9,13,15, 19,21-octadehydro[24]annulene is another 26-electron system that is aromatic. Ojima and co-workers prepared bridged dehydro derivatives of [26], [30], and [34]annulenes. All of these are diatropic. The same workers prepared a bridged tetradehydro[38]annulene, which showed no ring current. On the other hand, the dianion of the cyclophane 89 also has 38 perimeter electrons, and this species is diatropic. ... 

As we have seen (p. 59), these systems are expected to be not only nonaromatic but actually antiaromatic. The chief criterion for antiaromaticity in annulenes is the presence of a paramagnetic ring current, which causes protons on the outside of the ring to be shifted upfield while any inner protons are shifted downfield, in sharp... 

The [12]annulene (96) has been prepared. In solution this molecule exhibits rapid conformational mobility (as do many other annulenes), so that above a certain temperature, in this case — 150°C, all protons are magnetically equivalent. However, at — 170°C the mobility is greatly slowed and the three inner protons are found at 85 while the nine outer protons are at 68. Annulene 96 suffers from hydrogen interference and is certainly not planar. It is very unstable and above —50°C rearranges to 97. Several bridged and dehydro[12]annulenes are known. 

The results for [16] annulene are similar. The compound was synthesized in two different ways, both of which gave 103, which in solution is in equilibrium with 104. Above -50°C there is conformational mobility, resulting in the magnetic equivalence of all protons, but at — 130°C the compound is clearly paratropic there are 4 protons at 10.565 and 12 at 5.35 5. In the solid state, where the compound exists entirely as 103, X-ray crystallography shows that the molecules are nonplanar with almost complete bond alternation The single bonds are 1.44-1.47 A and the double bonds are 1.31-1.35 A. A number of dehydro and bridged... 

The fact that many 4 systems are paratropic even though they may be nonplanar and have unequal bond distances indicates that if planarity were enforced, the ring currents might be even greater. That this is true is dramatically illustrated by the NMR spectrum of the dianion of 83 (and its diethyl and dipropyl homologs). We may recall that in 83, the outer protons were found at 8.14-8.67 8 with the methyl protons at —4.25 8. For the dianion, however, which is forced to have approximately the same planar geometry but now has 16 electrons, the outer protons are shifted to about -3 8 while the methyl protons are found at 21 8, a shift of 258 We have already seen where the converse shift was made, when [16]annulenes that were antiaromatic were converted to 18-electron dianions that were aromatic. In these cases, the changes in NMR chemical shifts were almost as dramatic. Heat of combustion measurements also show that [16]annulene is much less stable than its dianion. 

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