The odd-number cyclo[13]carbon and its dimer, cyclo[26]carbon

Journal article

Molecular rings of N carbon atoms (cyclo[N]carbons, or C_N) are excellent benchmarking systems for testing quantum chemical theoretical methods and valuable precursors to other carbon-rich materials. Odd-N cyclocarbons, which have been elusive to date, are predicted to be even less stable than even-N cyclocarbons. We report the on-surface synthesis of cyclo[13]carbon, C₁₃, by manipulation of decachlorofluorene with a scanning probe microscope tip. We elucidated the properties of C₁₃ by experiment and theoretical modeling. C₁₃ adopts an open-shell configuration with a triplet ground state and a kinked geometry, which shows different extents of distortion and carbene localization depending on the molecular environment. Moreover, we prepared and characterized the C₁₃ dimer, cyclo[26]carbon, demonstrating the potential of cyclocarbons and their precursors as building blocks for carbon allotropes.

Authors: Albrecht, F; Rončević, I; Gao, Y; Paschke, F; Baiardi, A

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Journal: Science
• Volume: 384
• Issue: 6696
• Pages: 677-682
• Publication date: 2024-05-09
• Acceptance date: 2024-04-04
• DOI: 10.1126/science.ado1399
• EISSN: 1095-9203
• ISSN: 0036-8075
• Pmid: 38723091
• Language: English
• Keywords: FFR