Fullerene Model Compounds: Bowl-Shaped Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Cyclophane-Bayed Cage Molecules

摘要

Despite the continuous stream of exciting reports about the chemistry of buckminsterfullerene C_(60), a classical total synthesis of this spherical molecular carbon allotrope remains a great intellectual and preparative challenge. Meanwhile, the curved "aromatic" surface of the fullerene and the cavity it encapsulates have stimulated the investigation of model compounds that, besides being interesting in their own right, may ultimately prove to be suitable starting points for a flexible assembly of carbon spheres. Bowl-shaped aromatic hydrocarbons and cyclophane-based cage compounds are among the promising candidates, and some of the more recent results in these fields are highlighted in the following.