Hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene decorated with an allenylidene ruthenium complex – almost a flyswatter

Abstract

Carbon-rich ruthenium allenylidene complexes bearing either a hexaarylbenzene (HAB) or a hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene (HBC) substituent were synthesised. This was achieved via the corresponding propargyl alcohols with HAB and HBC substituents, which were accessible via 3 or 4 step reaction cascades. Reaction of the propargyl alcohols HCC(OH)Ph(HAB) and HCC(OH)Ph(HBC) with [RuCl(η⁵-C₅H₅)(PPh₃)₂] yielded the complexes [Ru(η⁵-C₅H₅)(CCC(HAB)(Ph))(PPh₃)₂]PF₆ and [Ru(η⁵-C₅H₅)(CCC(HBC)(Ph))(PPh₃)₂]PF₆. The latter of which shows interesting π–π-stacking behaviour in the solid state as well as aggregation in solution.