Thermolysis of Biphenylene toward Cyclo-ortho-phenylenes.

The solvent and catalyst free thermolysis of biphenylenes at 350 °C furnishes [n]cyclo-ortho-phenylenes ([n]COPs, n=4-10) in one step and in high yields. At 400 °C biphenylene dimerizes into tetraphenylene, but lower reaction temperatures produce cyclooligomers. If suitably substituted, the oligomers are soluble and can be isolated and characterized. The products are exclusively cyclic. In the crystalline state, [6]COP displays an alternating crown-shaped conformation.

Intermolecular Desymmetrizing Gold-Catalyzed Yne-Yne Reaction of Push-Pull Diarylalkynes.

Push-pull diaryl alkynes are dimerized in the presence of a cationic gold catalyst. The polarized structure of the applied starting materials enables the generation of a highly reactive vinyl cation intermediate in an intermolecular reaction. Trapping of the vinyl cation by a nucleophilic attack of the electron-poor aryl unit then leads to the selective formation of highly substituted naphthalenes in a single step and in complete atom economy.