MIXED STAFFANES AS INTERMEDIATE-LENGTH STAFFS FOR MOLECULAR-SIZE TINKERTOYS - PARENT HYDROCARBONS AND TERMINAL DIIODIDES COMBINING BICYCLO[1.1.1]PENTANE WITH CUBANE OR BICYCLO[2.2.2]OCTANE UNITS

Photochemically induced addition of [1.1.1]propellane across one or both of the C-I bonds in the 1,4-diiodocubane and l,4-diiodobicyclo[2.2.2]octane yields doubly terminally functionalized straight molecules (“mixed staffanes”) whose length is intermediate between those of the parent [n]staffanes differing by one in the value of n. Conversion to terminal dilithio derivatives and to the parent hydrocarbons is described, and a single-crystal X-ray structure of l,4-bis(bicyclo[l.l.l]pent-l-yl)cubane is presented. © 1990, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.