Adamantane consists of four cyclohexanes fused each other in chair conformations. It is the most stable isomer of formula, C10H16; one of the highest melting point hydrocarbons (> 210 C); boiling point cannot be determined directly as it sublimes easily. Its stability is from strain free and highly symmetrical structure (all C-C bonds are set in and all Cs are tetrahedral). Its systematical name is tricyclo[3.3.1.1(3,7)]decane which means bicyclo[3.3.1]decane with an extra one-carbon bridge between C3 and C7. An alkyl substituent is axial in one ring and equatorial in another. Polymantanes have the same structure as the diamond lattice featuring highly symmetrical and strain free and are named as diamondoids . The general molecular formula of homologous diamondoid is C4n+6H4n+12. Diamondoids have one or more cages and are called diamantane, triamantane, and polymantanes. There are numerous structural isomers as well. Aadamantane itself is the simplest diamondoid. Some examples are; iceane (C12H18), diadamantane (C14H20), triadamantane (C18H24), isotetramantane (C22H28), cyclohexamantane (C26H30), superadamantane (C35H36). Natural diamondoids are extracted and purified from petroleum deposits. Diamondoids are being investigated in the new field of nanotechnoloy. Clinically, amantane and its derivatives are employed chiefly for the synthesis of antiviral drugs as well as neurological drugs such as rimantadine and Parkinson��s disease drugs. Their unique structures have the possibility to be applied to produce a broad range of biologically and pharmaceutically active drugs such as anticancer and anti-microbial agents. |
