Dehydroannulene ring current

Using similar methodology, macrocycle 126 was prepared, as well as the unusual monoene 127 [76]. Considerable debate in the literature over the last thirty years has focused on whether dehydrobenzoannulenes are able to sustain induced ring currents [5al. Although fusion of arenes to the annulenic core provides rigidity and stability, this also weakens the diatropicity/paratropicity of the macrocycle significantly. Until quite recently, the number of planar systems available for study was limited however, with the the addition of 123 and 126, the series of alkyne-linked, tribenzo-fused dehydroannulenes is complete from... 

The preparation of annelated tetrakisdehydro[18]annulenes 349 and 350 and the reference dehydroannulene 351 afforded further insight into the 7t-electron delocalization in annelated annulenes . When a dihydronaphthalene nucleus in 351 was replaced by naphthalene to form the annelated dehydroannulene 350, an appreciable suppression of diatropicity in 350 was observed. Further replacement of the dihydronaphthalene by naphthalene to give the dinaphtho-annelated derivative 349 resulted in a further suppression of the diatropicity in contrast to the increase of diamagnetic ring current in the case of transition from 342 to 340 and from 343 to 341. 

Dehydroannulenes reported by Sondheimer and co-workers include l,3,7,9,13,15-hexadehydro-[18]-annulene (14), in which the protons (all outside ) resonate at low field, suggesting the presence of a diamagnetic aromatic ring current. In comparison, the protons of... 

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