Synthesis of macrocyclic heteroarylenes by consecutive inter- and intramolecular cycloadditions of thiophenylene-tethered triynes

Consecutive inter- and intramolecular [2+2+2] cycloadditions of various thiophenylene-tethered triynes were comprehensively studied by using chiral Rh catalysts. When we started from 2,3- and 3,4-thiophenylene-tethered substrates, dimerization proceeded and chiral tetraheteroarylenes were obtained. In contrast, reactions of 2,5-thiophenylene-tethered substrates gave hexaheteroarylenes as trimers. When bis- and tris(2,5-thiophenylene)-tethered triynes were used, mixtures of dimers and trimers were obtained, which included macrocyclic systems that contained up to 12 aromatic rings, and their photophysical properties were measured.

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