The definition of Carbon Rich Compounds applied in this as in the previous volume (TCC Volume 196) of this series on the same general topic comprises carbon skeletons with a carbon to hydrogen ratio of 1:(kleiner gleich 1), which ultimately implies all-carbon compounds (i.e. carbon allotropes). The current volume covers modern methods for the coupling - mostly metal catalyzed - of subsystems consisting of double bonds, cyclopropyl groups, arenes, and metal-complexed pi-systems with acetylene and diacetylene units. The resulting structures range from macrocycles, including those with all sorts of linkers between the acetylene and diacetylene units, to conducting polymers and light-emitting materials. Wherever appropriate, chemical transformations of these intriguing compounds and materials are discussed as well.
