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Related Concept Videos

Five-Membered Heterocyclic Aromatic Compounds: Overview01:13

Five-Membered Heterocyclic Aromatic Compounds: Overview

Heterocyclic aromatic compounds are cyclic compounds that are aromatic and have one or more heteroatoms—atoms other than carbon, in the ring. Depending upon the number of atoms present in the ring, they can be either five or six-membered. Examples of five-membered heterocyclic aromatic compounds include pyrrole, furan, thiophene, and imidazole. Pyrrole consists of one nitrogen atom having one lone pair of electrons. Furan and thiophene have one oxygen and one sulfur heteroatom, respectively.
Aromatic Hydrocarbon Anions: Structural Overview01:18

Aromatic Hydrocarbon Anions: Structural Overview

Neutral hydrocarbons like cyclopentadiene with an odd number of carbon atoms and one intervening CH2 group in the ring are not aromatic. Cyclopentadiene with 4 π electrons does not satisfy the 4n + 2 π electron rule. Additionally, the intervening CH2 group is sp3 hybridized and lacks a vacant p orbital, thereby interrupting the overlap of p orbitals in a continuous manner and preventing the delocalization of π electrons throughout the ring.
Due to the absence of continuous overlap of p...
Aromatic Hydrocarbon Cations: Structural Overview01:18

Aromatic Hydrocarbon Cations: Structural Overview

Cycloheptatriene is a neutral monocyclic unsaturated hydrocarbon that consists of an odd number of carbon atoms and an intervening sp3 carbon in the ring. The three double bonds in the ring correspond to 6 π electrons, which is a Huckel number, and therefore satisfies the criteria of 4n + 2 π electrons. However, the intervening sp3 carbon disrupts the continuous overlap of p orbitals. As a result, cycloheptatriene is not aromatic.
Removing one hydrogen from the intervening CH2 group with both...
Criteria for Aromaticity and the Hückel 4n + 2 Rule01:20

Criteria for Aromaticity and the Hückel 4n + 2 Rule

Like benzene, cyclobutadiene and cyclooctatetraene are cyclic compounds with alternate single and double bonds. However, their chemical behavior differs from benzene, as they are unstable and not aromatic. So, what are the structural characteristics of unsaturated compounds categorized as aromatic?
For the first time, Eric Hückel, a German chemical physicist, derived a set of structural features for a compound to be classified as aromatic. This is now known as Hückel’s rule or the 4n + 2 rule.
Nomenclature of Aryl and Heterocyclic Amines01:10

Nomenclature of Aryl and Heterocyclic Amines

The simplest aromatic amine is phenylamine, which contains an –NH2 functionality directly attached to an aromatic ring. The name aniline is designated for this skeleton. As shown in Figure 1, the common names of the functionalized anilines involve prefixes ortho-, meta-, and para- to indicate the substitution position. Different functionalized aniline derivatives also have notable trivial names.
Frost Circles for Different Conjugated Systems01:18

Frost Circles for Different Conjugated Systems

The inscribed polygon method is consistent with Hückel’s 4n + 2 rule and helps to learn whether the given cyclic compound is aromatic or not. The compound is stable and aromatic if every bonding molecular orbital (MO) is completely filled with a pair of electrons. However, if the non-bonding or antibonding orbitals are filled with electrons, the compound is unstable and not aromatic. Consider the Frost circle diagrams for cycloalkenes containing 4 to 8 carbons.

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Preparation of a Corannulene-functionalized Hexahelicene by Copper(I)-catalyzed Alkyne-azide Cycloaddition of Nonplanar Polyaromatic Units
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Preparation of a Corannulene-functionalized Hexahelicene by Copper(I)-catalyzed Alkyne-azide Cycloaddition of Nonplanar Polyaromatic Units

Published on: September 18, 2016

Oxacalix[n](het)arenes.

Wouter Maes1, Wim Dehaen

  • 1Molecular Design and Synthesis, Department of Chemistry, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Chemical Society Reviews
|October 25, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Oxacalixarenes, macrocycles with oxygen atoms instead of methylene bridges, show promise in supramolecular chemistry. Recent synthetic advancements are driving their transition from synthesis to broader applications.

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Area of Science:

  • Supramolecular Chemistry
  • Macrocyclic Chemistry
  • Organic Synthesis

Background:

  • Oxacalixarenes are macrocyclic compounds related to calixarenes.
  • They feature oxygen atoms in place of the typical methylene bridges found in calixarenes.
  • These structural modifications impart unique properties, making them of significant interest.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a tutorial review of recent synthetic progress in oxacalixarene chemistry.
  • To highlight the evolution of oxacalixarenes from synthetic targets to applied materials.
  • To stimulate further research and development in this area.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of synthetic methodologies for oxacalixarenes.
  • Analysis of recent advancements in oxacalixarene synthesis.
  • Discussion of emerging applications in macro- and supramolecular chemistry.

Main Results:

  • Significant synthetic progress has been achieved in recent years.
  • New synthetic routes and strategies have been developed.
  • The field is transitioning towards exploring diverse applications.

Conclusions:

  • Oxacalixarenes represent a promising class of macrocycles.
  • Continued synthetic innovation is crucial for their application.
  • Further research will expand their role in supramolecular chemistry.