Supramolecular chemistry of adamantyldiazirines

This work combines several aspects of organic chemistry and comprises synthetic, spectroscopic and theoretical considerations. An improvement in the synthesis of adamantane-2,4-dione is reported. Several adamantyldiazirines and their inclusion complexes with α- and β-cyclodextrin were prepared and thoroughly studied. The first single crystal X-ray structures of dialkyldiazirines could be obtained together with the first single crystal X-ray structure analysis of an encapsulated carbene precursor. Also the first single crystal X-ray structure of a bisdiazirine is reported. The complexes were analyzed in solution by 2D NMR spectroscopy and chiroptical techniques. The correlation of two different spectroscopic methods allowed to check the validity of rules established for the prediction of the conformation of cyclodextrin complexes. It could be shown, that these rules must not be applied to n-π* transitions of diazirines. The reactions of 5-substituted adamantylidenes were studied in solution and in the gas phase. Together with quantum mechanical calculations, the origin of the diastereoselectivity of allegedly sterically unbiased carbenes was elucidated. The scope and limitations of the photochemistry of the substituted diazirines in the confined space of cyclodextrin complexes is discussed. It could be shown, that the selectivity of the reactive intermediates is largely controlled by packing motives of the complex. The photochemical reaction of 2,6-diaziadamantane yielded an oligoazine-pseudopolyrotaxane. To the author's knowledge this is the first example of a photo polymerization involving carbenes in a constrained system. (author)