Platonic hydrocarbon

As Platonic hydrocarbons are referred to those saturated hydrocarbons whose carbon skeletons possess the geometrical structures Platonic solid. Here are the links tetrahedrane ( tetrahedron ), Cuban (cube ), Octahedran ( octahedron ), dodecahedrane ( dodecahedron ) and Icosahedran ( icosahedron ).

Cuban

Dodecahedrane

From orbital symmetry reasons, however Octahedran and Icosahedran have only theoretical nature and are potentially represented not as real molecules. In the case of Octahedrans would have the four bonds of the skeletal carbon atoms point toward the corners of the square plane of the octahedron, which would mean such a strong deviation from the tetrahedral angle of sp3 hybrid orbitals of carbon atoms that no bond formation is possible. In Icosahedran would have to form the structure in addition, the four-bonded carbon atoms form a fifth bond.

Tetrahedrane has so far due to its high ring strain not yet be synthesized, but its tetrakis (tert -butyl ) derivative was established in 1978. The tert- butyl radicals this expansive stabilize the strained structure of Tetrahedrangerüsts. The strain energies of the three known compounds take from tetrahedrane about the Cuban Dodekahedran from the back.

For the synthesis of Cuban and dodecahedrane some routes are known. Cuban was the first time in 1964 and for the first time Dodekahedran synthesisiert 1982.