Molecular Belts and Collars in the Making: A Hexaepoxyoctacosahydro[12]cyclacene Derivative

Repeated Diels–Alder reactions of the suitably curved and stiff reactants 1 and 2 furnish, via the central intermediate 3, the intellectually appealing title (and cover page) compound. In the last step of the synthesis, 3 is allowed to react with 2 under high pressure (9–10 kbar). The yield is nevertheless 20%. The Diels–Alder reactions are remarkably stereoselective, the intermediates are topologically extremely interesting, and the final product—it speaks for itself.