Concave binding of cationic Li to quadrannulene

Phys Chem Chem Phys. 2017 Aug 9;19(31):20773-20777. doi: 10.1039/c7cp02512b.

Abstract

Binding of Li+ to quadrannulene and its influence on buckybowl functionalization are introduced. The concave-trapped Li+ acts as a Lewis acid and the rate of Diels-Alder cycloaddition is enhanced 108 times. A sandwiched bowl-Li+-bowl structure is stabilized via concave-cation-convex interactions, indicating the promoted role of Li+ in buckybowl assembly.