(HEXAPHENYLTRIMETHYLENE)METHANE DICATION AND RELATED CARBOCATIONS

By ionization of the respective alkenediol (8a), the (hexaphenyltrimethylene)methane dication (2) has been prepared and found stable in solution under superacidic stable ion conditions (FSO3H/SO2ClF) up to at least -20 degrees C. The spectroscopic data and AM1 theoretical modeling indicate that although the entire pi-system is twisted, phenyl groups stabilize the positive charges in 2 to a similar degree as those in the trityl cation. The hexa-p-CF3 derivative of 2 was also observable but only at very low temperatures (-90 degrees C). Disruption of the 3-fold symmetry and reduction of the number of stabilizing phenyl rings even to five resulted in intramolecular allylation and subsequent formation of the corresponding indenyl cations. In all the cases studied no evidence for ''Y-aromatic'' stabilization was found.