Unsaturated strained cyclophanes based on dibenz[a,j]anthracene by an intramolecular McMurry olefination

A new type of rigid conjugated unsaturated strained cyclophane derivative containing dibenz[a,j]anthracene units was facilely synthesized through an intramolecular McMurry reaction without intermolecular dimerization products in good yields. The photophysical properties of these cyclophane derivatives in dilute solution were investigated, and molecular modeling was employed to study their electronic properties.