Poly-Lewis-acids based on bowl-shaped tribenzotriquinacene.

Several derivatives of bowl-shaped tribenzotriquinacenes with Lewis-acidic atoms are reported. Six acetylene functions were attached to the benzene rings and these can carry six SnMe3 or SiMe3 groups. Direct functionalization of the benzhydrylic positions with the silyl groups of tribenzotriquinacene in in situ Grignard reactions is reported. Such silyl groups carry various substituents; the Si-H functional species were shown to be convertible into Si-F, Si-Cl and Si-Br functional compounds. The benzhydrylic positions were also substituted by allyl and p-iodo-phenyl functions; the first were further functionalized with a variety of silyl groups (SiCl3, SiMeCl2, SiF3, SiMeF2), the latter with trimethylsilylethynyl substituents and this product desilylated to a tris-(p-ethynyl-phenyl) tribenzotriquinacene. The complexation of a SbCl3 unit by a tribenzotriquinacene derivative with a new chelating tris-arene binding motif of the antimony atom is also reported.