Finite phenine nanotubes with periodic vacancy defects

Abstract

Discrete graphitic carbon compounds serve as tunable models for the properties of extended macromolecular structures such as nanotubes. Here, we report synthesis and characterization of a cylindrical C₃₀₄H₂₆₄ molecule composed of 40 benzene (phenine) units mutually bonded at the 1, 3, and 5 positions. The concise nine-step synthesis featuring successive borylations and couplings proceeded with an average yield for each benzene-benzene bond formation of 91%. The molecular structure of the nanometer-sized cylinder with periodic vacancy defects was confirmed spectroscopically and crystallographically. The nanoporous nature of the compound further enabled inclusion of multiple fullerene guests. Computations suggest that fusing many such cylinders could produce carbon nanotubes with electronic properties modulated by the periodic vacancy defects.