Mechanical Strain-Controlled Aromaticity in Cyclo[n]Carbons
Cyclocarbons have unique electronic and mechanical properties, but their extreme reactivity makes experimental studies and practical applications highly challenging. In this work, we use molecular modeling to investigate how mechanical strain, including uniaxial tension and radial contraction/expans...
| Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | article |
| Status: | Published version |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Country: | España |
| Institution: | Universidad de Barcelona |
| Repository: | Dipòsit Digital de la UB |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/225867 |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/2445/225867 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | Estructura química Hidrocarburs aromàtics policíclics Compostos aromàtics Chemical structure Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Aromatic compounds |
| Summary: | Cyclocarbons have unique electronic and mechanical properties, but their extreme reactivity makes experimental studies and practical applications highly challenging. In this work, we use molecular modeling to investigate how mechanical strain, including uniaxial tension and radial contraction/expansion, affects the aromaticity of C<sub>16</sub> and C<sub>18</sub>cyclocarbons. Aromaticity was evaluated using magnetic (NICS, GIMIC) and electronic (π-EDDB, AV1245) indices to provide a comprehensive assessment. Our results show that uniaxial tension slightly reduces the (anti)aromaticity of both cyclocarbons, with C<sub>16</sub>becoming less antiaromatic and C<sub>18</sub> less aromatic. Radial expansion leads to almost complete loss of aromaticity, regardless of the initial electronic nature of the cyclocarbon. In turn, radial contraction appears to be an effective approach to enhance electronic delocalization in cyclocarbons, with a particularly notable effect for C<sub>18</sub>. One of the most significant findings is that an 8% radial contraction transforms moderately aromatic C<sub>18</sub>into a highly aromatic system with fully equalized bond lengths, offering a potential strategy for designing more stable cyclocarbon systems within mechanically strained architectures. |
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