Marriage of Heterobuckybowls with Triptycene: Molecular Waterwheels for Separating C60 and C70. Issue 20 (10th March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Zhe; Song, Wenru; Yang, Shaojie; Yuan, Chengshan; Liu, Zitong; Zhang, Hao‐Li; Shao, Xiangfeng
• Is Part Of: Chemistry. Volume 28:Issue 20(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2022-03-10
• Subjects: buckybowls -- fullerene receptors -- fullerene separation -- transient spectra -- triptycene; Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1002/chem.202200306
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0947-6539

Abstract

Abstract: Exploration of π‐conjugated polycycles, particularly those have π‐frameworks spread over the three‐dimensional space, is essential in materials science and synthetic chemistry as these chemical entities possess featured optoelectronic properties and supramolecular assembly. Herein, the bowl‐shaped trichalcogenasumanenes are fused onto three branches of triptycene through pyrazine units, affording waterwheel‐like three‐dimensional polycycles 4 a/4 b . Because the three branches on 4 a/4 b are chemically equal, the molecular orbitals of 4 a/4 b show degenerate feature that results in the strong UV‐Vis absorbance at steady state. 4 a/4 b exhibit photo‐induced charge‐separation and subsequent charge‐redistribution at transient state, leading to excited state absorption in NIR‐II window (1165–1400 nm). 4 a/4 b are excellent fullerene receptors, and they form 1 : 1 host‐guest complexes with C60 /C70 as proved by spectroscopic titrations and single crystal structure analysis. Moreover, 4 a/4 b show much stronger affinity toward C70 than C60 . Consequently, 4 a/4 b are able to separate C60 and C70 from their mixture, giving the purity of C60 up to 99.5 %. Abstract : Waterwheel‐like three‐dimensional polycycles have been created by fusing the heterobuckybowls and triptycene. The molecular waterwheels are excellent fullerene receptors that can be used to separate C60 and C70 from their mixture.