In Pursuit of Molecular Wires: Attempted Syntheses of Benzocyclobutadiene Chromium Tricarbonyl

Advancements in electronic circuitry are approaching inherent limits due to physical constraints in miniaturizing traditional materials such as copper and silicon wires. The Byers lab is addressing this problem by using... [ view full abstract ]

Advancements in electronic circuitry are approaching inherent limits due to physical constraints in miniaturizing traditional materials such as copper and silicon wires. The Byers lab is addressing this problem by using organic synthesis to search for smaller, alternative materials. Specifically, the Byers lab is exploring novel conductive organo-chromium polymers as possible replacements for the traditional materials. This project attempts multiple synthetic pathways to benzocyclobutadiene chromium tricarbonyl, a monomer for the development of a conductive polymer. Molecular characteristics such as extended π-orbital conjugation, chromium’s dual electron donating/accepting properties, and the ease of ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) via Grubbs’ catalyst make benzocyclobutadiene chromium tricarbonyl an attractive prospective conductive material. While benzocyclobutadiene chromium tricarbonyl has yet to be fully synthesized, several previously unreported precursors have been discovered and characterized. Future work will continue to investigate the addition of a chromium tricarbonyl ligand to precursor molecules to achieve a stable benzocyclobutadiene complex for polymerization.