Fullerene Related Hydrocarbons

The bowl-shaped hydrocarbons give an opportunity to study convex versus concave preferences for complex formation which relates to the interest in endo-hedral complexes of fullerenes. 

Corannulene is the simplest example within the class of polynuclear aromatic compounds with curved surfaces that are related by carbon framework to the i fullerenes. These aromatic hydrocarbons possess bowl-shaped geometries, consist... 

Fullerene generation by vaporization of graphite or by combustion of hydrocarbons is very effective and certainly unbeatable what facile production in large quantities is concerned. However, total synthesis approaches are attractive because (a) specific fullerenes could be made selectively and exclusively, (b) new endohedral fullerenes could be formed, (c) heterofullerenes and (d) other cluster modified fullerenes could be generated using related synthesis protocols. 

Quite apart from their singular topology, the fullerenes are distinguished from other conjugated hydrocarbons by their non-planarity. The geometrical aspects of fullerene formation as it relates to pyramidalization of the constituent carbon atoms has been recognized for some time (Haddon et al. 1986 Haddon 1988). Here we consider the effect of non-planarity on the electronic structure of the carbon atoms as it arises in the fullerenes (Haddon et al. 1986 Haddon 1992). 

It has the formula Ceo and represents the third structure of carbon to be known (in addition to graphite and the diamond). Fullerene was discovered in 1985, and a multitude of related compounds are now known. Ceo fullerene represents a somewhat extreme example of an aromatic hydrocarbon molecule, both in size, and in its deviation from planarity. 

The main use of this reaction is for the synthesis of bowl-shaped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and fullerenes [325], Exploring the boundaries of these reactions resulted in the synthesis of compounds of different geometry, tt-electron structure, aromaticity, and with the presence of heteroatoms [324]. Various cross-conjugated enediynes exert anionic cycloaromatization to form fulvene and fulvalene anions and even heterocycles. In accordance with the concept of aromaticity, the anionic Bergman type cyclization is preferred to the classical Bergman cycloaromatization of linear enediynes. This anionic cyclization differs considerably from the classical Bergman cyclization and related cycliza-tions, as well as from other dianionic cyclizations [326]. 

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