Bicyclo[3.2.1]octa-3,6-dien-2-yl cation: a bishomoantiaromate

Antiaromatic compounds with a closed loop of 4n p-electrons are relatively unstable and often difficult to study. We report in this article the synthesis of alcohols 2-(4'-fluorophenyl)bicyclo[3.2.1]octan-2-ol 11, 2-(4'-fluorophenyl)bicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-en-2-ol 12, and 2-(4'-fluorophenyl)bicyclo[3.2.1]octa-3,6-dien-2-ol 13 and their transformations into corresponding carbocations 14-16, respectively, in a superacidic medium (FSO3H/SO2ClF) at -120 degrees C. Cations 14-16 are characterized by NMR analysis (1H, 13C, 19F), and 15 and 16 are further characterized by quenching in NaOCH3/H3COH at -120 degrees C. The relative stabilities of 14-16 are determined experimentally by 19F NMR spectroscopy. Cation 16 is found to be experimentally less stable than cation 15 by 3.7 kcal/mol. DFT calculations (structure and energy: B3LYP/6-31G(d); NMR: B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,p)) are performed for alcohols 11-13 and bicyclo[3.2.1]octyl cations 6, 7, 9, 14-16, 26, 28, and 30. In the case of 11-16, data from DFT calculations is in good agreement with experimental data. Because 6,7-dimethylenebicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-en-2-yl cation 26 is more stable than cation 7 by 1.69 kcal/mol, the inductive effect of sp(2)-hybridized carbon atoms C6 and C7 in carbocations 6 and 16 cannot be the reason for the destabilization of 6 relative to 7 and 16 relative to 15. Destabilization of 6 relative to 7 and 16 relative to 15 and the calculated NICS of 6 (+4.17 ppm) and 16(+3.3 ppm) document that 6 and 16 are bishomoantiaromates.