An approach to the synthesis of dodecahedrane: the X-ray crystal structures of six intermediate compounds
Abstract
The X-ray crystal structures (0.03 < R < 0.06) of six compounds isolated during an approach to the synthesis of dodecahedrane are described. The highly substituted C13-tetraquinane (4) and the C19-heptaquinanetrione (6) are twisted out of mirror symmetry to minimise steric interactions. The bridged C19-hexaquinanetriones (7) and (8) and the C19-hexaquinanetriones (9) show signs of strain in the molecular skeleton and the doubly bridged C19-hexaquinanetrione (10) is even distorted showing both bond stretching and bond compression.