[18]Annulene put into a new perspective

Area of Science:

• Organic Chemistry
• Crystallography
• Solid-State Chemistry

Background:

• [18]Annulene and its derivatives are important macrocyclic organic compounds.
• Understanding the solid-state packing of annulenes is crucial for predicting their properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the crystal structure of [18]annulene.
• To elucidate the role of solvent molecules in stabilizing solid annulenes.

Main Methods:

• X-ray crystallography was employed to analyze the crystal structure.
• Co-crystallization of hexadehydro[18]annulene with benzene was performed.

Main Results:

• A face-to-face stacking of [18]annulene molecules at 3.16 Å was observed.
• A herringbone-like crystal packing arrangement was identified.
• The study demonstrated the stabilizing effect of intercalated benzene molecules.

Conclusions:

• The crystal structure of [18]annulene reveals specific intermolecular interactions.
• Intercalated solvent molecules play a significant role in the stabilization of solid annulene structures.