Hydrindacene-based acetylenic macrocycles with horizontally and vertically ordered functionality arrays.

The macrocyclization of 2,6-diethynyl hydrindacenes (1) with functional groups at mutually perpendicular positions results in the formation of novel macrocycles which, as a result of the hindered rotation of the hydrindacene units, possess directionally persistent peripheral functionalities. The two hydrindacene units in the dimer macrocycle (2) have been shown to interact electronically through their respective butadiyne moieties, whereas the trimer macrocycle (3) demonstrates a moderate degree of geometrical flexibility as a result of the five-membered hydrindacene rings. In addition, these trimer macrocycles contain a central cavity suitably sized for the inclusion of various solvent molecules.