Triptycene

Triptycenes are a class of aromatic hydrocarbons. The parent compound triptycene is the Diels-Alder reaction product of anthracene and benzyne. The compound has a paddlewheel configuration with D_3h symmetry. Barrelenes are conceptually related compounds. The hydrocarbon framework is very rigid and triptycene and triptycene derivatives such as triptycene quinones are therefore incorporated in many organic compounds as a molecular scaffold for instance in molecular motors or as a ligand for example in this hydrocyanation: