S1 Supporting Information Dodecamethoxy- and Hexaoxo-tricyclobutabenzene: Synthesis and Characterization Toshiyuki Hamura, Yousuke Ibusuki, Hidehiro Uekusa, Takashi Matsumoto, Jay S. Siegel, † Kim K. Baldridge, and Keisuke Suzuki * Interactive Research Center of Science, † Department of Chemistry, Tokyo Institute of Technology, SORST, Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST), O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan, and the Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Zürich, Winterthuererstrasse 190, Zürich, CH-8057 ksuzuki@chem.titech.ac.jp General Experimental Procedures Ethereal solvents (anhydrous; Kanto Chemical Co., Inc.) were used as received. For thin-layer chromatography (TLC) analysis, Merck pre-coated plates (silica gel 60 F254, Art 5715, 0.25 mm) were used. For flash column chromatography, silica gel 60 (Merck Art 7734, 70–230 mesh) was used. Silica gel preparative TLC (PTLC) was performed on Merck silica gel 60 PF254 (Art 7747). Melting point (mp) determinations were performed by using a Yanako MP-S3 instrument and are uncorrected. 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR were measured on a JEOL JNM lambda-400, and a Bruker DRX-500 spectrometer. Infrared (IR) spectra were recorded on a Perkin Elmer 1600 FT/IR 200 spectrometer. High resolution mass spectra under electron impact conditions (HRMS) were obtained with a JEOL JMS 700 spectrometer. † On leave from the University of Zürich (Jan. 1, 2005–March 31, 2005).