Synthesis, structure and π-expansion of tris(4,5-dehydro-2,3:6,7-dibenzotropone)

• Yongming Xiong,
• Xue Lin Ma,
• Shilong Su and
• Qian Miao

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 1–7, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.1

• Abstract The polycyclic skeleton of tris(4,5-dehydro-2,3:6,7-dibenzotropone) is a key structural fragment in carbon schwarzites, a theoretical form of negatively curved carbon allotrope. This report presents a new synthesis of this compound using a Ni-mediated Yamamoto coupling reaction and structural

• , expanding its π-skeleton through the Barton–Kellogg and Scholl reactions led to the successful synthesis of a curved polycyclic arene containing three heptagons and two pentagons. Keywords: carbon schwarzites; polycyclic arenes; Scholl reaction; seven-membered carbocycle; Yamamoto coupling; Introduction

• theoretical carbon structures known as carbon schwarzites or Mackay crystals. These names honor A. L. Mackay and H. A. Schwarz for their pioneering contributions. In 1991, Mackay introduced the idea of negatively curved carbon allotropes by incorporating octagons into the graphitic lattice [3]. Earlier, in