Novel Syntheses of Three C₃₀H₁₂ Bowl‐Shaped Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Abstract

The missing links between the normal, planar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and buckyballs are the bowl-shaped C30H12 buckybowls 1, 2, and 3. All three were prepared by flash vacuum pyrolysis of suitable aromatic precursors. The best yields are obtained when radical centers are generated at defined positions by the homolysis of CBr and CC bonds to initiate the critical cyclizations.