Fused Aromatic and Antiaromatic Smaragdyrin Dimers

Abstract

Singly‐linked aromatic [22]smaragdyrin BF2 complex dimer was synthesized by the reductive coupling of 16‐brominated [22]smaragdyrin BF2 complex, which was oxidized to a stable diradical with PbO2. As the first example of fused smaragdyrin dimer, a fused [22]smaragdyrin BF2 complex dimer was synthesized by the oxidation of a CuCl‐BF2 complex dimer with FeCl3 and subsequent reduction with NaBH4. After removal of the BF2 group, the singly‐linked and fused aromatic dimers were oxidized to the corresponding antiaromatic [20]smaragdyrin free base dimers. The first oxidation and reduction potentials of these dimers are split depending upon the intramolecular electronic interactions, which are larger for the fused dimers. Despite the large electronic interactions, the aromatic and antiaromatic characters are well preserved in the fused dimers.