Synthesis and Structure of 1,2-Dimethylene[2.10]metacyclophane and Its Conversion into Chiral [10]Benzenometacyclophanes

Bromination of 5,21-di-tert-butyl-8,24-dimethoxy-1,2-dimethyl[2.10]metacyclophan-1-ene (MCP-1-ene; 1) with benzyltrimethylammonium tribromide exclusively afforded 1,2-bis(bromomethyl)-5,21-di-tert-butyl-8,24-dimethoxy[2.10]MCP-1-ene (2). Debromination of 2 with Zn and AcOH in CH₂Cl₂ solution at room temperature for 24 h produced dimethylene[2.10]MCP 7 in 92 % yield, which is a stable solid compound. Compound 7 was treated with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) to provide 1,2-(3′,6′-dihydrobenzo)-5,21-di-tert-butyl-8,24-dimethoxy[2.10]MCP-4′,5′-dimethylcarboxylate (8) in good yield. Diels–Alder adduct 8 was converted into a novel and inherently chiral areno-bridged dimethoxy[2.10]MCP-4′,5′-dimethylcarboxylate 9, possessing C₁ symmetry, by aromatization with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone (DDQ). A new type of N-phenyl-maleimide substituted 1,2-(3′,6′-dihydrobenzo)-5,21-di-tert-butyl-8,24-dimethoxy[2.10]MCP-4′,5′-N-phenylmaleimide 10 was also synthesized from 7 through treatment with N-phenylmaleimide in toluene at 110 °C followed by aromatization with DDQ. Single-crystal X-ray analysis of 9 revealed the formation of a syn-isomer.