Experimental and theoretical elucidation of SPAAC kinetics for strained alkyne-containing cycloparaphenylenes

Tuning strained alkyne reactivity via organic synthesis has evolved into a burgeoning field of study largely focused on cyclooctyne, wherein physical organic chemistry helps guide rational molecular design to produce molecules with intriguing properties. Concurrent research in the field of carbon nanomaterials has produced new types of strained alkyne macrocycles, such as cycloparaphenyleneacetylenes, that possess uniquely curved aromatic pi systems but hover on the edge of stability. In 2018, we introduced a strained alkyne scaffold that marries the synthetic accessibility and stability of cyclooctyne with the curved pi system of carbon nanomaterials. These molecules are strained alkyne-containing cycloparaphenylenes (or [n+1]CPPs), which have been shown to possess size-dependent reactivity as well as the classic characteristics of the unfunctionalized parent CPP, such as a tunable HOMO-LUMO gap and bright fluorescence for large sizes. Herein, we elaborate further on this scaffold, introducing two modifications to the original design and fully characterizing the kinetics of the strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC) for each [n+1]CPP with a model azide. Additionally, we explain how electronic (the incorporation of fluorine atoms) and strain (a meta linkage which heightens local strain at the alkyne) modulations affect SPAAC reactivity via the distortion-interaction computational model. Altogether, these results indicate that through a modular synthesis and rational chemical design, we have developed a new family of tunable and inherently fluorescent strained alkyne carbon nanomaterials.

Automated summary

Tuning strained alkyne reactivity in organic synthesis is a growing field that focuses on cyclooctyne. Carbon nanomaterial research has produced new types of strained alkyne macrocycles, such as cycloparaphenyleneacetylenes, which have unique aromatic pi systems but are on the edge of stability. By combining synthetic accessibility and stability with curved pi systems, strained alkyne-containing cycloparaphenylenes ([n+1]CPPs) have been developed, showing size-dependent reactivity and classic characteristics of CPP. Modifications to the original design and the study of kinetics and computational models have further enhanced the properties and understanding of these carbon nanomaterials.