Maksim Navakouski

Conductive π-conjugated polymers were electrochemically generated from a variety of donor–acceptor pyrroles containing fused perimidine subunits. Alternating oxidative and reductive polarization of these precursors induces multidirectional coupling involving both perimidine and acenaphtho[1,2-c]pyrrole moieties, producing cross-linked polymeric structures. Chemical oxidation experiments and computational analyses of spin densities in the charged pyrrole intermediates indicate that the formation of inter-perimidine linkages occurs prior to pyrrole–pyrrole couplings. In the resulting polymers, a very stable dication state is achievable with the positive charge located on the bis-perimidine linker. These polymers do not show any stable neutral state and can be easily reduced. Cationic and anionic states of these electrogenerated films were investigated in the solid state by UV–vis–NIR and EPR spectroelectrochemistry, assisted by DFT calculations.

Oxidative transformation of hexapyrrolylbenzenes into azacoronenes using bromine electrophiles as alternative coupling agents is shown to occur according to a distinct mechanism, different from those proposed for typical high-potential oxidants. It is shown that consecutive cyclizations do not involve brominated intermediates and can be rationalized by assuming a relayed arenium cation attack followed by deprotonation and conjugate elimination. The final cyclization is incompatible with this mechanism and is found to involve double-electrophilic bromination followed by thermal elimination of dibromine. These findings provide insight into the reactivity of sterically congested aromatic systems and may help in designing new methods of C–C bond formation.

Chiral heteroaromatic propellers based on radially π-extended hexapyrrolohexaazacoronenes were obtained in a concise synthesis from suitably functionalized donor–acceptor monopyrroles. To overcome steric hindrance, a new cyclodehydrogenation method was developed, and it uses bromine electrophiles as oxidative coupling agents instead of the commonly employed high-potential oxidants. The new reaction offers high yields of propeller-shaped targets, even for electron-deficient precursors, and shows electrophile-dependent stereoselectivity, with N-bromosuccinimide and dibromine yielding, respectively D₆- and C₂-symmetric products. The propeller azacoronenes are chiral and can be separated into configurationally stable enantiomers. In addition to providing steric bulk, peripheral functionalization considerably affects the electronic properties of the propellers, which exhibit reduced optical and electrochemical band gaps, and a more clearly defined electroreduction behavior.