On August 17th, the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the Graduate School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo announced the first synthesis of perfluorocuprobenzene and successfully observed the state in which electrons were trapped. This molecule, as a box like structure, can capture and retain a single electron, which is a rare research discovery in the principle of "particles in a box" in quantum mechanics.
Figure 1 Distribution of electrons in perfluorocopper benzene
Although conventional cuprobenzene (C8H8) has been discovered since 1964, no one has managed to manufacture perfluorocuprobenzene (C8F8), although it is predicted that it may be able to retain electrons. For a long time, putting electrons in carbon cages has been a challenge, "said Akiyama from the University of Tokyo." Chemists predict that if polyhedral hydrocarbons are completely fluorinated, they will retain electrons in the center of the cage. "Her team has now become the first to synthesize perfluorocuprobenzenes, proving that it can indeed encapsulate electrons in cages.
In theory, polyhedral molecules with fluorine atoms bound to all vertices are expected to receive electrons, but synthesis has not yet been achieved. Our research group successfully synthesized perfluorocuprobenzene for the first time in the world using the PERFECT method developed by AGC company (Note 1). In addition, the state where electrons are enclosed within this molecule was successfully observed. This achievement provides new possibilities for the design guidelines of functional molecules that receive electrons.
This study was published online on August 11, 2022 in the American scientific journal Science.
Figure 2 Structure and LUMO distribution of electron acceptor in perfluorocopper benzene
Figure 3 Synthesis method and crystal structure of perfluorocopper benzene
