Functionalized Nanodiamonds Part I. An Experimental Assessment of Diamantane and Computational Predictions for Higher Diamondoids

The structures, strain energies, and enthalpies of formation of diamantane 1, triamantane 2, isomeric tetramantanes 3–5, Td‐pentamantane 6, and D3d‐hexamantane 7, and the structures of their respective radicals, cations, as well as radical cations, were computed at the B3LYP/6‐31G* level of theory. For the most symmetrical hydrocarbons, the relative strain (per carbon atom) decreases from the lower to the higher diamondoids. The relative stabilities of isomeric diamondoidyl radicals vary only within small limits, while the stabilities of the diamondoidyl cations increase with cage size and depend strongly on the geometric position of the charge. Positive charge located close to the geometrical center of the molecule is stabilized by 2–5 kcal mol−1. In contrast, diamondoid radical cations preferentially form highly delocalized structures with elongated peripheral CH bonds. The effective spin/charge delocalization lowers the ionization potentials of diamondoids significantly (down to 176.9 kcal mol−1 for 7). The reactivity of 1 was extensively studied experimentally. Whereas reactions with carbon‐centered radicals (Hal)3C. (Hal=halogen) lead to mixtures of all possible tertiary and secondary halodiamantanes, uncharged electrophiles (dimethyldioxirane, m‐chloroperbenzoic acid, and CrO2Cl2) give much higher tertiary versus secondary selectivities. Medial bridgehead substitution dominates in the reactions with strong electrophiles (Br2, 100 % HNO3), whereas with strong single‐electron transfer (SET) acceptors (photoexcited 1,2,4,5‐tetracyanobenzene) apical C4H bridgehead substitution is preferred. For diamondoids that form well‐defined radical cations (such as 1 and 4–7), exceptionally high selectivities are expected upon oxidation with outer‐sphere SET reagents. Crude oil provides diamondoids that have the potential to be spectacular nanomolecular organic building blocks. Yet, methods for selective functionalizations of such (chemical) gems are scarce. We present a wide array of methods to probe CH substitution selectivities involving radicals, cations, and radical cations (schematized above).