Cyclododecahexaene or 2nnulene () is a member of the series of

annulene Annulenes are monocyclic hydrocarbons that contain the maximum number of non-cumulated or conjugated double bonds (' mancude'). They have the general formula CnHn (when ''n'' is an even number) or C''n''H''n''+1 (when ''n'' is an odd number). Th ...

s with some interest in

organic chemistry Organic chemistry is a subdiscipline within chemistry involving the scientific study of the structure, properties, and reactions of organic compounds and organic materials, i.e., matter in its various forms that contain carbon atoms.Clayden, ...

with regard to the study of

aromaticity In chemistry, aromaticity is a chemical property of cyclic ( ring-shaped), ''typically'' planar (flat) molecular structures with pi bonds in resonance (those containing delocalized electrons) that gives increased stability compared to satur ...

. Cyclododecahexaene is non-aromatic due to the lack of planarity of the structure. On the other hand the di

anion An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by conve ...

with 14 electrons is a Hückel aromat and more stable. According to in silico experiments the tri-

trans isomer Trans- is a Latin prefix meaning "across", "beyond", or "on the other side of". Used alone, trans may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Trans (festival), a former festival in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom * ''Trans'' (fil ...

is expected to be the most stable, followed by the 1,7-ditrans and the all cis-isomers (+1 kcal/mol) and by the 1,5-ditrans isomer (+5 kcal/mol). The first 2nnulene with sym-tri-trans configuration was synthesized in 1970 from a tricyclic precursor by photolysis at low temperatures. On heating the compound rearranges to a

bicyclic In chemistry, a bicyclic molecule () is a molecule that features two joined rings. Bicyclic structures occur widely, for example in many biologically important molecules like α-thujene and camphor. A bicyclic compound can be carbocyclic (all ...

.4.0isomer. Reducing the compound at low temperatures allowed analysis of the dianion by

proton NMR Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (proton NMR, hydrogen-1 NMR, or 1H NMR) is the application of nuclear magnetic resonance in NMR spectroscopy with respect to hydrogen-1 nuclei within the molecules of a substance, in order to determine the struct ...

with the inner protons resonating at -4.5 ppm relative to TMS, evidence of an

aromatic In chemistry, aromaticity is a chemical property of cyclic ( ring-shaped), ''typically'' planar (flat) molecular structures with pi bonds in resonance (those containing delocalized electrons) that gives increased stability compared to satur ...

diamagnetic ring current An aromatic ring current is an effect observed in aromatic molecules such as benzene and naphthalene. If a magnetic field is directed perpendicular to the plane of the aromatic system, a ring current is induced in the delocalized π electrons ...

. : In one study the 1,7-ditrans isomer is generated at low temperatures in

THF Tetrahydrofuran (THF), or oxolane, is an organic compound with the formula (CH2)4O. The compound is classified as heterocyclic compound, specifically a cyclic ether. It is a colorless, water- miscible organic liquid with low viscosity. It is ...

dehydrohalogenation In chemistry, dehydrohalogenation is an elimination reaction which removes a hydrogen halide from a substrate. The reaction is usually associated with the synthesis of alkenes, but it has wider applications. Dehydrohalogenation from alkyl halid ...

of a hexabromocyclododecane with potassium ''tert''-butoxide. Reduction of this compound at low temperature with caesium metal leads first to the

radical anion In organic chemistry, a radical anion is a free radical species that carries a negative charge. Radical anions are encountered in organic chemistry as reduced derivatives of polycyclic aromatic compounds, e.g. sodium naphthenide. An example of ...

and then to the dianion. The

chemical shift In nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, the chemical shift is the resonant frequency of an atomic nucleus relative to a standard in a magnetic field. Often the position and number of chemical shifts are diagnostic of the structure o ...

for the internal protons in this compound is with +0.2 ppm much more modest than in the tri-trans isomer. : Heating the radical ion solution to room temperature leads to loss of one equivalent of hydrogen and formation of the

heptalene Heptalene is a polycyclic hydrocarbon with chemical formula , composed of two fused cycloheptatriene rings. It is an unstable, non-planar compound which is non-aromatic. The dianion, however, satisfies Hückel's rule In organic chemistry, Hüc ...

radical anion.

References

{{Annulenes Annulenes Antiaromatic compounds