Explosions as a Synthetic Tool? Cycloalkynes as Precursors to Fullerenes, Buckytubes, and Buckyonions

Abstract

A provacative question is asked by the title. Explosions will probably not become a general synthetic method, but strained dehydrobenzoannulenes decompose explosively upon heating to give, inter alia, structured, fullerenoid carbon particles. The spectacular thermochemical behavior of these cycloalkynes has fueled hopes that acetylenic cyclophanes such as 1 can be prepared and brought to coalesce to spherical forms of carbon like the fullerenes. Promising progress in this area has recently been made and is highlighted in this contribution.

Keywords: Alkynes; Cyclophanes; Fullerenes; Mass spectrometry.