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Title: Gas phase synthesis of [4]-helicene

Journal Article · · Nature Communications
 [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [2];  [2]; ORCiD logo [2];  [3];  [3];  [3];  [3];  [4];  [4]; ORCiD logo [4];  [5];  [6];  [6];  [7]
  1. Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI (United States)
  2. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
  3. Samara National Research Univ. (Russia)
  4. Florida Intl Univ., Miami, FL (United States)
  5. Samara National Research Univ. (Russia); Florida Intl Univ., Miami, FL (United States)
  6. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
  7. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

A synthetic route to racemic helicenes via a vinylacetylene mediated gas phase chemistry involving elementary reactions with aryl radicals is presented. In contrast to traditional synthetic routes involving solution chemistry and ionic reaction intermediates, the gas phase synthesis involves a targeted ring annulation involving free radical intermediates. Exploiting the simplest helicene as a benchmark, we show that the gas phase reaction of the 4-phenanthrenyl radical ([C14H9]) with vinylacetylene (C4H4) yields [4]-helicene (C18H12) along with atomic hydrogen via a low-barrier mechanism through a resonance-stabilized free radical intermediate (C18H13). This pathway may represent a versatile mechanism to build up even more complex polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as [5]- and [6]-helicene via stepwise ring annulation through bimolecular gas phase reactions in circumstellar envelopes of carbon-rich stars, whereas secondary reactions involving hydrogen atom assisted isomerization of thermodynamically less stable isomers of [4]-helicene might be important in combustion flames as well.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Florida International Univ. (FIU), Miami, FL (United States); Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI (United States); Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division; Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; FG02-03ER15411; FG02-04ER15570; SC0010409; DEFG02- 03ER15411; 14.Y26.31.0020
OSTI ID:
1546667
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1594767; OSTI ID: 1603093
Journal Information:
Nature Communications, Vol. 10, Issue 1; ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 23 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (4)

From atoms to aerosols: probing clusters and nanoparticles with synchrotron based mass spectrometry and X-ray spectroscopy journal January 2020
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon formation chemistry in a plasma jet revealed by IR-UV action spectroscopy journal January 2020
Low-temperature Formation of Carbonaceous Dust Grains from PAHs journal January 2020
Multiphoton dissociation dynamics of the indenyl radical at 248 nm and 193 nm journal November 2019

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