Arylene–hexaynylene and –octaynylene macrocycles: extending the polyyne chains drives self-association by enhanced dispersion force

Abstract

Tetraalkoxyphenanthrylene–hexaynylene and –octaynylene macrocycles, which represent the first examples of isolable arylene–alkynylene macrocycles (AAMs) that contain polyyne chains longer than tetrayne, were synthesized and their self-association behavior was examined. Extending the polyyne chain from diyne to tetrayne, hexayne, and octayne exponentially increased the self-association constant of the macrocycles.