S. Azulenes, Fulvenes

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. 

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