FROM PAGODANES TO HOMOLOGOUS, NON-PENTAGONAL DODECAHEDRANES

Home-and bishomododecahedral cage molecules with one and two O-CO (O-C H2) linkers installed into the parent pentagonal framework and featuri ng diverse functionalization patterns have been made available from pa godane precursors via highly expeditious synthetic sequences. The enfo rced geometrical changes with respect to molecular curvature, olefinic pyramidalization, transannular pi,pi-distance as well as to the chemi cal reactivity particularly of the unsaturated homododecahedranes are generally in good agreement with expectations based on calculations (M M2). In the appreciably pyramidalized monohomododecahedradiene skeleto n 40 the non-parallel pi-bonds are ca. 2.9 (3.1) Angstrom [Phi = ca. 2 0 (32)degrees, MM2], in the bishomododecahedradiene skeleton 55 the pe rfectly syn-periplanar pi-bonds 2.81 Angstrom apart (Phi = 18.2 degree s, X-ray crystal structure).