Air-stable cationic hydrocarbon nanobelt

May 1, 2025

The MCPP cation is expected to be applied to long-wavelength emissive materials and supramolecular materials

An international collaborative research group involving scientists from the RIKEN Pioneering Research Institute, the RIKEN CSRS, and Nagoya University has successfully synthesized a cationic (positively charged) hydrocarbon nanobelt, known as the MCPP cation. This MCPP cation exhibits a sharp absorption spectrum in the long-wavelength region, and its dication form as been found to possess a high fluorescence quantum yield. Furthermore, both theoretical and experimental investigations revealed that the dication displays a strong diatropic belt current under a magnetic field, resulting in distinctive proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) signals.

Cationic aromatic molecules have long been studied due to their properties that differ significantly from those of electrically neutral aromatic compounds. As hole-transporting intermediates in p-type organic semiconductors, they have drawn attention for decades. Among them, cationic aromatic hydrocarbons have attracted particular interest for their simple yet functional molecular structures. However, due to their electron-deficient nature, many of these compounds are unstable in air, and thus the synthesis of new molecules and studies of their properties have been limited.

This study demonstrates the unique characteristics of the MCPP cation, which is stable in air, opening possibilities for future applications in long-wavelength emissive materials and supramolecular materials.

 

Original article

Chemical Science doi: 10.1039/D5SC01305D

N. Kai, H. Kono, T. Stünkel, D. Imoto, R. Zanasi, G. Monaco, F. F. Summa, L. T. Scott, A. Yagi, K. Itami,

"Stable cationic nanobelts synthesized by chemical oxidation of methylene-bridged [6]cycloparaphenylene".

Contact

Kenichiro Itami
Team Director
Expanded Chemical Space Research Team