Fulvalenes

The predictions of relative stability obtained by the various approaches diverge more widely when nonbenzenoid systems are considered. The simple Hiickel method using total n delocalization energies relative to an isolated double-bond reference energy (a + fi) fails. This approach predicts stabilization of the same order of magnitude for such unstable systems as pentalene and fulvalene as it does for much more stable aromatics. The HMO, RE, and SCF-MO methods, which use polyene reference energies, do much better. All show drastically reduced stabilization for such systems and, in fact, indicate destabilization of systems such as butalene and pentalene (Scheme 9.2). 

The fulvalene systems are not predieted to be aromatie by any of the theoretieal estimates of stability. Even simple resonanee eonsiderations would suggest polyene behavior, sinee only dipolar resonance stmctures can be drawn in addition to the single nonpolar stmeture. 

Whereas the fulvalenes 1-6 are relatively unstable hydrocarbons and therefore largely of theoretical interest, their heteroatom analogs demand considerable attention in synthetic chemistry and material sciences. Tlie general principle of heterocyclic chemistry to relate heterocyclic compounds to carbocyclic ones was the driving force for the synthesis and their application to heteroful-valenes. Numerous heterocyclic derivatives iso-rr-electronic with, for example, heptafulvalene 3 were accessible in which pairs of carbon atoms linked by double bonds were replaced by heteroatoms capable of contributing two tt-electrons. By this principle, the well-known tetrathiafulvalene and its derivatives have been synthesized successfully (Scheme 2). 

Tliis chapter covers nitrogen-containing fulvalenes that can be obtained by replacement of CH=CH and/or CH, for example, types 1-3 starting from compounds 1-6. Compounds in which nitrogen atoms are arranged on the periphery of the cross-conjugated system as in 15 or 16, as well as derivatives in which the central double bond contains heteroatoms as in 17, are not included. For azoniafulvalenes of type 17 and related heterocyclic betaines see (94AFIC197). 

Concerning nomenclature, fulvalene 2 and its related systems 1 and 3-6 are the parent structures of this class of heterocyclic cross-conjugated compounds. Both ring systems are numbered as shown in formula 9 (1,4,5,8-tetraazafulva-lene) beginning at the heteroatoms. Alternatively, as in the case of heptafulva-lene 10 (3,3 -diazaheptafulvalene), the numbers 1-7 and l -7 can be used.Tlie use of the name of the parent heterocycle connected by an olefinic double bond is often favored for the nomenclature of electron-rich olefines, for example, bis[3-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-ylidene] for compound 51a (97LAR365). Similarly, azafulvalenes of type 11 and 12 can be re-... 

An intensely colored by-product of the photolysis reaction of methyl-2-azidobenzoate has been identified as the first known derivative of 3,3 -diazaheptafulvalene 70 (94LA1165). Its molecular mass was established by elemental analysis and mass spectroscopy as that of a formal nitrene dimer, whereas and NMR studies demonstrated the twofold symmetry as well as the existence of a cross-conjugated 14 7r-electron system in 70. Involving l-azido-2,3-dimethoxy-5,6-dimethoxycarbonylbenzene in thermal decomposition reactions, the azaheptafulvalene 71 could be isolated and characterized spectroscopically and by means of X-ray diffraction. Tliis unusual fulvalene can be regarded as a vinylogous derivative of azafulvalenes (96JHC1333) (Scheme 28). 

In context with the formation of peraminosubstituted 1,4,5,8-tetraazaful-valenes of type 85 it must be mentioned that the bis-vinylogous compounds 94 can be easily prepared by reaction of acetamidine with bisimidoylchlo-rides derived from oxalic acid (96S1302). In the course of a complex reaction a cyclic ketene aminal was produced it immediately underwent an oxidative dimerization to yield deeply colored TAFs. Tlieir high chemical stability can be compared with that of indigoid dyes and manifests itself, for example, by the fact that they are soluble in hot concentrated sulfuric acid without decomposition. Tire same type of fulvalene is also available by cy-... 

Among the variety of nitrogen-containing fulvalenes emerging from types 7-14, X-ray structural determinations have been performed on about 20 representative examples. Tire first crystal structure determination was carried out by application of the folding-molecule method on 3,3 -diphenyl-l,l -bi-isoindolylidene 64 (R = FI) (71CB3108). Tire dimeric isoindolenine system... 

When equimolar quantities of 80a and its dication 110 are combined in acetonitrile, single electron transfer occurs and the coproportionation product was obtained (95TL2741).Tliis deeply red-colored, air-sensitive radical cation 111 showed a strong ESR signal (g = 2.0034). On the other hand, the excellent electron donor 80a could be prepared by electrolytic reduction starting from 110. It was necessary to carry out the reduction with scrupulous exclusion of oxygen. Tlius, the electrolysis of 110 at -1.10 V initially gave rise to an intense red color, which was presumably due to the formation of 111. Upon further reduction, the red color faded and the tetraaza-fulvalene 80a was isolated at a 62% yield (Scheme 45). 

Nitrogen-containing fulvalenes have not been systematically studied by mass spectroscopy. Only isolated data for several examples of compounds have been reported. Most of the data consist of electron impact (El) mass spectra recorded for analytical purposes. Only a minor fraction dealt with the characterization of ion structures or focused on the effects of substituents, the ring size of fulvalenes, or the number and arrangement of nitrogen atoms and the fragmentation pathways. 

Nitrogen-containing fulvalenes, particularly their di- and tetraazaderiva-tives, have to be classified in the large group of organic compounds which comprise two-step redox systems (78AG927) (Scheme 46). 

Eullerene-based donor-acceptor complexes and ion-radical salts with tetrathia-fulvalenes, metalloporphyrins, and cyclic amines as donors 99UK23. 

Of the fundamental nonalternant hydrocarbons, only two prototypes were known about fifteen years ago azulene (XI, Fig. 5), the molecular structure of which was determined by Pfau and Plattner and fulvene (XIX) synthesized by Thiec and Wiemann. Early in the 1960 s many other interesting prototypes have come to be synthesized. Doering succeeded in synthesizing heptafulvene (XX) fulvalene (XXI) and heptafulvalene (XXIII). Prinzbach and Rosswog reported the synthesis of sesquifulvalene (XXII). Preparation of a condensed bicyclic nonalternant hydrocarbon, heptalene (VII), was reported by Dauben and Bertelli . On the other hand, its 5-membered analogue, pentalene (I), has remained, up to the present, unvanquished to many attempts made by synthetic chemists. Very recently, de Mayo and his associates have succeeded in synthesizing its closest derivative, 1-methylpentalene. It is added in this connection that dimethyl derivatives of condensed tricyclic nonaltemant hydrocarbons composed of 5- and 7-membered rings (XIV and XV), known as Hafner s hydrocarbons, were synthesized by Hafner and Schneider already in 1958. 

Sevilla et The analysis of the hyperfine spectra of these radicals has revealed that the cation radical should have D2H symmetry, whereas the molecular symmetry of the anion radical should be lower than the apparently-full molecular symmetry, i. e., We now examine the molecular symmetries of the anion and cation radicals of heptafulvalene, together with those of its 5-membered analogue, fulvalene PCXI) using the symmetry rule. 

If the full molecular symmetry is assumed, the ground states of the cation radical of fulvalene and the anion radical of heptafulvalene are both predicted to be of symmetry by using the semiempirical open-shell SCF MO method The lowest excited states of both radicals are of symmetry and are predicted to be very close to the ground states in the framework of the Hiickel approximation these states are degenerate in both cases (Fig. 4). Therefore, it is expected that in both these radicals the ground state interacts strongly with the lowest excited state through the nuclear deformation of symmetry ( — with the result that the initially assumed molecular... 

On the other hand, in the anion radical of fulvalene and the cation radical of heptafulvalene, the energy gaps between the ground and lowest excited state (which is in both cases doubly degenerate in the Hiickel approximation (Fig. 4)) are predicted to be reasonably large (1.4 and 1.7 eV, respectively), so that these radicals would not suffer a symmetry reduction. 

Inspection of Table 2 reveals that all those molecules that suffer a molecular-symmetry reduction in the ground state possess (E2 — E1) values considerably larger than the critical value, so that they should have a fully-symmetrical nuclear configuration in their first excited states. On the other hand, there are cases where a molecule has an ( , — Eg) value significantly higher than the critical value, but has a relatively smaller (Ej— i) value. The ( 2 i) value of the pentalene dianion (I ) is of the same order of magnitude as the critical value and those for the peri-condensed nonalternant hydrocarbon, XVII, the fulvalenes, XXI, XXII and XXIII, and the dianions, IVand VII are significantly smaller than the critical value ( 0.6eV). 

The orbital arrangement for pentalene shown in Fig. 2 serves to indicate how close the second excited state is to the first excited state when two more electrons are placed in the nonbonding orbital to form the dianion. The very small (E2 — E1) values for fulvalene and hepta-fulvalene are realized from the orbital arrangements shown in Fig. 4 in both molecules the two lowest excited states ( 3 and 211) have the same energy in the Huckel picture. 

The symmetry of the most soft distortion in the lowest excited state is given by the direct product of the symmetry of the first excited state (shown in Table 1) and that of the second excited state (shown in Table 2). These symmetries are b3g(R ) for 1 and VII 2(1 ) for XVII and IV- hi (z) for XXI and XXIII, and fli(z) for XXII. The symmetries of the lowest excited states are then predicted to be Cj, Q, and C2 , respectively. It should be noted that despite the strong vibronic coupling with the second excited state, the first excited state of sesqui-fulvalene (XXII) does not undergo a symmetry reduction. 

On the other hand, in cata-condensed nonalternant hydrocarbons IV, VI, X and XI, peri-condensed nonalternant hydrocarbons XIV — XVIII, fulvenes XIX and XX, and fulvalenes XXI—XXIII, self-consistency was achieved only for the fully-symmetrical nuclear arrangement. All these molecule, except azulene pCl), also show in a greater or lesser degree a pronounced double-bond fixation. 

Next, we discuss the symmetries, bond lengths and spin densities for the anion and cation radicals of fulvalene (XXI) and heptafulvalene (XXIII) using the dynamic theory. We use the semiempirical open-shell SCF MO formalism in conjunction with the variable bond-length technique. 

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