Highly twisted 1,2:8,9-dibenzozethrenes: Synthesis, ground state, and physical properties

Two soluble and stable 1,2:8,9-dibenzozethrene derivatives (3a,b) are synthesized through a palladium-catalyzed cyclodimerization reaction. X-ray crystallographic analysis shows that these molecules are highly twisted owing to congestion at the cove region. Broken-symmetry DFT calculations predict that they have a singlet biradical ground state with a smaller biradical character and a large singlet-triplet energy gap; these predictions are supported by NMR and electronic absorption measurements. They have small energy gaps and exhibit farred/near-infrared absorption/emission and amphoteric redox behaviors.