Structure of long-lived alkynyl-substituted carbocations of the phenanthrene series and their precursors

Abstract

According to the NMR data, 9-(R-ethynyl)-9-hydroxy-10,10-dimethyl-9,10-dihydrophenanthrenes (R = H, Me, Ph) in superacid medium (HSO3F-SO2ClF) at low temperature undergo dehydroxylation with formation of the corresponding long-lived 10,10-dimethyl-9-(R-ethynyl)-9,10-dihydrophenanthren-9-yl cations which do not isomerize to 10-(R-ethynyl)-9,10-dimethyl-9,10-dihydrophenanthren-9-ylium. In contrast, longlived 10,10-dimethyl-9-(3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-yn-1-yl)-9,10-dihydrophenanthren-9-yl cation derived from 9-(3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-yn-1-yl)-10,10-dimethyl-9,10-dihydrophenanthren-9-ol undergoes partial isomerization to 10-(3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-yn-1-yl)-9,10-dimethyl-9,10-dihydrophenanthren-9-yl cation.