Octalene is a polycyclic hydrocarbon composed of two fused cyclooctatetraene rings.
Anions
Octalene can be readily reduced by lithium to a dianion and, unusually for such a small molecule, a tetraanion .Müllen, K., Oth, J. F. M., Engels, H.-W. and Vogel, E. (1979), Dianion and Tetraanion Octalene. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl., 18: 229–231. doi:10.1002/anie.197902291 The di-anion has its two negative charges in one ring, converting that ring into a 10-pi electron aromatic system similar to the di-anion of cyclooctatetraene. In the 18-pi electron tetra-anion, both rings effectively have access to 10 pi electrons, leading to a planar, bicyclic aromatic structure analogous to that of naphthalene.
See also Propalene Benzyne Pentalene Heptalene Butalene
References