Increase in aromaticity drives metallaaromatic ring contraction

By Hugh Ryan2023-05-24T14:27:00

A tricyclic molecule of a 3-, aromatic 6- and 5-carbon rings which includes an osium group where the three rings meet and an -OH group on the 5-carbon ring reacts losing its OH group and changing to two 5- aromatic rings and a 3- with a double bond

Acid-promoted ring contraction reaction reshapes an osmaindenol into an osmapentalene

Researchers in China have shown that one metallaaromatic framework can transform into another via a ring contraction reaction. Haiping Xia of Xiamen University, who led the work with Ming Luo of Southern University of Science and Technology, says this is the first aromatic framework rearrangement to be reported in an organometallic system.