[6](1,4)Naphthalenophane (1) and [6](1,4)anthracenophane (2) underwent thermal cycloaddition with tetracyanoethylene to give the corresponding [2+2] adducts 3 and 4. Anthracenophane 2 reacted with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate to yield the 1:1 and 1:2 adducts 6 and 7.
The unusual reactivity of [6](1,4)naphthalenophane (2) and [6](1,4)anthracenophane (3), the smallest-bridged acenophanes hitherto known, in electrophilic reactions has been disclosed. These reactions include (i) acid-catalyzed telomerization, (ii) peracid oxidation, and (iii) addition with dienophiles. Semi-empirical molecular orbital calculations (MNDO and MNDO/PM3) were performed in order to compare