Molecular Cages Made of CH Fragments

SCHEME 4.8 Formation of the cage molecule tetrahedrane, (CH)4, made from four HC fragments. 

Dodecahedrane was finally made in the chemistry laboratory of the American chemist Leo Paquette, after an odyssey of 30 years, with many attempts by the greatest chemists. Many PhD students have spent their academic years trying to 

FIGURE 4.4 The abstract dodecahedron body (a Platonic body) in (a) and the 3D representations of the dodecahedrane molecule, (CH)2q, in (b) and (c). The representation in (b) shows all the C—C and C—H bonds as sticks, while the one in (c) shows the packing of the atomic spheres, C (blue) and H (gray). (The dodecahedron image on the left-hand side of the figure was obtained from http //commons.wikimedia.0rg/wiki/File Zeroth stellation of dodecahedron.png.) 

One can think of other cages, such as the cubane (CH)g molecule, etc. You will find some in the problem set at the end of the chapter. 

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