Synthesis of aromatic cyclo[10]carbon and cyclo[14]carbon
Time: 2024-01-24
Luye Sun, Wei Zheng, Wenze Gao, Faming Kang, Mali Zhao & Wei Xu (Tongji University of China) Nature volume 623, pages 972–976 (2023).
All-carbon materials based on sp2-hybridized atoms, such as fullerenes, carbon nanotubes and graphene, have been much explored due to their remarkable physicochemical properties and potential for applications. Another unusual all-carbon allotrope family are the cyclo[n]carbons (Cn) consisting of two-coordinated sp-hybridized atoms. They have been studied in the gas phase since the twentieth century, but their high reactivity has meant that condensed-phase synthesis and real-space characterization have been challenging, leaving their exact molecular structure open to debate. Only in 2019 was an isolated C18 generated on a surface and its polyynic structure revealed by bond-resolved atomic force microscopy12,13, followed by a recent report14 on C16. The C18 work trigged theoretical studies clarifying the structure of cyclo[n]carbons up to C100 , although the synthesis and characterization of smaller Cn allotropes remains difficult.
The scientists modify the earlier on-surface synthesis approach to produce cyclo carbon (C10) and cyclo[14]carbon (C14) via tip-induced dehalogenation and retro-Bergman ring opening of fully chlorinated naphthalene (C10, Cl8) and anthracene (C14, Cl10) molecules, respectively. We use atomic force microscopy imaging and theoretical calculations to show that, in contrast to C18 and C16, C10 and C14 have a cumulenic and cumulene-like structure, respectively. Our results demonstrate an alternative strategy to generate cyclocarbons on the surface, providing an avenue for characterizing annular carbon allotropes for structure and stability.
.png)
.png)
Professor Xu Wei stated that this research work has greatly promoted the development of cyclic carbon, and the proposed surface synthesis strategy is expected to become a universal method for synthesizing a series of cyclic carbons. Meanwhile, the synthesized cyclic carbon is expected to develop into a new type of semiconductor material and has broad application prospects in molecular electronic devices.
Tongji University is the sole author of the paper, Professor Xu Wei is the sole corresponding author, and team members Dr. Sun Luye and specially appointed researcher Zheng Wei are the co first authors. This work has been supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China's Outstanding Youth Science Fund project.
1）Kroto, H. W., Heath, J. R., O’Brien, S. C., Curl, R. F. & Smalley, R. E. C60: buckminsterfullerene. Nature 318, 162–163 (1985)
2）Iijima, S. & Ichihashi, T. Single-shell carbon nanotubes of 1-nm diameter. Nature 363, 603–605 (1993).
3）Novoselov, K. S. et al. Electric field effect in atomically thin carbon films. Science 306, 666–669 (2004).
Wuxi Further Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
☆ Office Tel: +86-510-83594580
☆ Mob: +86-18036885286
☆ Whatsapp/Wechat:+86-18036885286
☆ Email：susie@further-pharm.com
☆ QQ:3351728335
☆ Add:NO.1699 Huishan Avenue, Huishan Life Science and Technology Industrial Park, Huishan District, Wuxi, China
.png)