Carbon networks based on 1,5-naphthalene units. Synthesis of 1,5-naphthalene nanostructures with extended pi-conjugation.

The synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of nanometer-sized conjugated molecules of 5-X-naphthylethynyl (X= NO(2), NMe(2)) units with precise length and constitution have been carried out. A new extended pi-conjugated 5-nitronaphthyl family was synthesized by palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction between the protected 5-iodonaphthylethynyl 5a and 1-ethynyl-5-nitronaphthalene 9, or the resulting ethynyl compound 11 and the 1-iodo-5-nitronaphthalene 3. Catalytic oxidative dimerization of the terminal acetylene compounds permits the isolation of the corresponding 1,3-butadiyne derivatives 16-18, with the nitro groups at the ends of the conjugation, in excellent yields. A new family of conjugated 5-nitro-(naphthylethynyl)-[5-(N,N-dimethylamino)]naphthalene (20-22), was also synthesized by palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction between 5-iodo-N,N-dimethylnaphthalene-1-amine (19) with the appropriate terminal acetylene (9, 11, and13 respectively). Compounds 20-22 show a fluorescence emission and also exhibit a charge-transfer absorption in the visible spectrum. X-ray structure of 20 confirms a centrosymmetric dimer association with an interplanar distance of 3.43 A, and the naphthalene rings adopt an anti conformation around the Ctbd1;C triple bond.