Nanoscale Bicyclophanes

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Sigurd Höger
• Subject Area: Organic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation
• Term: from 2015 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 265513312

Within the described project we will elaborate the synthesis and supramolecular chemistry of nanoscale bicyclophanes derived from tetra(bromophenyl) quinquephenylenes by intramolecular Yamamoto coupling. The quinquephenylenes are rather easily accessible from the corresponding pyrylium salts and arylene diacetic acids. Beside a) the exploration of the synthetic potential of the intramolecular Yamamoto coupling reaction and extension of our synthetic strategy to larger oligoarylene structures, we will also focus in our study on b) the ability of the cyclophanes to bind on graphite in order to form extended 2D layers with the ability of functionalization of the volume phase; and on c) the possibility to generate new porous liquid crystal structures with the ability to organize included guest molecules in the meso phase. Topic c) includes investigations on d) the ability of the cyclophanes to bind guests (e.g. fullerenes) in their inner cavity. All topics require an extension of the present synthetic capabilities. Therefore, it is an important part of the program to explore the possibilities and limits of the synthetic access towards bicyclophanes with unusual sizes and strain energy and yet unexplored supramolecular functionality.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants