Product Distribution from Precursor Bite Angle Variation in Multitopic Alkyne Metathesis: Evidence for a Putative Kinetic Bottleneck

In the dynamic synthesis of covalent organic frameworks and molecular cages, the typical synthetic approach involves heuristic methods of discovery. While this approach has yielded many remarkable products, the ability to predict the structural outcome of subjecting a multitopic precursor to dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC) remains a challenge in the field. The synthesis of covalent organic cages is a prime example of this phenomenon, where precursors designed with the intention of affording a specific product may deviate dramatically when the DCC synthesis is attempted. As such, rational design principles are needed to accelerate discovery in cage synthesis using DCC. Herein, we test the hypothesis that precursor bite angle contributes significantly to the energy landscape and product distribution in multitopic alkyne metathesis (AM). By subjecting a series of precursors with varying bite angles to AM, we experimentally demonstrate that the product distribution, and convergence toward product formation, ...