Optically Active Trialkynyl(phenyl)methane: synthesis and Determination of Its Absolute Configuration by Vibrational Circular Dichroism (VCD) and Optical Rotatory Dispersion (ORD)

Both enantiomers of an optically active trialkynyl(phenyl)methane (the key building blocks in the construction of a stable expanded cubane) have been prepd. The strategy involved the resoln. of a racemic intermediate by means of HPLC on a chiral stationary phase. The abs. configuration of this intermediate was unambiguously assigned by using vibrational CD (VCD) and ORD (ORD), in combination with d. functional theory (DFT) calcns.