Acenes generated from precursors and their semiconducting properties

An aza-Diels-Alder approach to nitrogen-containing tetrabenzoacene derivatives

Acenes and N-heteroacenes have been synthesized and studied for over a century because of their fundamentally interesting materials properties and promise for device applications. Within this context, our laboratory has previously synthesized nitrogen-containing tetrabenzo[de,hi,op,st]pentacenes via an aza-Diels-Alder reaction-based approach, and herein, we expand our methodology to obtain substituted, expanded, functionalized, and dimeric tetrabenzoacenes. Overall, our study adds to the limited number of tetrabenzoacene derivatives reported to date and may open further opportunities for these materials in organic optoelectronics applications.

How to Stabilize Large Soluble (Hetero-)Acenes

The higher acenes and azaacenes (>(aza)heptacenes) are fascinating, yet elusive materials. Their reactivity and sensitivity increases concomitantly with their size. In recent years, confinement techniques, that is isolation of acenes in matrices and on surfaces, has surpassed solution-based chemistry with respect to accessing the larger (hetero)acenes at the price of the accessibility of no more than a couple thousands of molecules. Isolating acenes in bulk quantities and in processable form is vital for applications in organic electronics as well as from a viewpoint from basic research. In this Perspective, we will discuss after a short historical outline their degradation pathways, and then will selectively highlight recent efforts in stabilizing soluble (aza)acenes.

β-Disubstituted Pentacene Derivatives: Thin Film Structural Properties and Four-Probe Field Effect Mobility

2,9- and 2,10-diphenylpentacene were synthesized by direct C-H borylation of ketal-protected pentacene, followed by halodeboronation, resolution of the dihalo isomers, Suzuki arylation, cleavage of the ketals and decarbonylation in the solid state. They were studied as main active components in organic field effect transistors (OFETs). Diphenyl substitution of pentacene affects the unit cell dimensions only slightly, preserving a face to edge molecular packing in the first layers of thin films evaporated on SiO2 substrates. Both isomers self-assemble into nanoribbons during the thin film growth upon vapor deposition. The similarity between the surface induced phases of the 2,9-isomer and unsubstituted pentacene leads to similar 4-probe hole mobilities, i. e. 0.13 cm2 V-1 s-1 for the former. Whereas 2,9-disubstitution thus does essentially preserve the thin film characteristics of unsubstituted pentacene, 2,10-disubstitution is detrimental to the molecular ordering in the thin films and therefore to the field effect mobility which is only 0.07 cm2 V-1 s-1. The known strong enhancement of field effect mobility observed upon diphenyl substitution of anthracene can thus not be emulated analogously with pentacene.

Two-Dimensional Nonbenzenoid Heteroacene Crystals Synthesized via In-Situ Embedding of Ladder Bipyrazinylenes on Au(111)

Precisely introducing topological defects is an important strategy in nanographene crystal engineering because defects can tune π-electronic structures and control molecular assemblies. The synergistic control of the synthesis and assembly of nanographenes by embedding the topological defects to afford two-dimensional (2D) crystals on surfaces is still a great challenge. By in-situ embedding ladder bipyrazinylene (LBPy) into acene, the narrowest nanographene with zigzag edges, we have achieved the precise preparation of 2D nonbenzenoid heteroacene crystals on Au(111). Through intramolecular electrocyclization of o-diisocyanides and Au adatom-directed [2+2] cycloaddition, the nonbenzenoid heteroacene products are produced with high chemoselectivity, and lead to the molecular 2D assembly via LBPy-derived interlocking hydrogen bonds. Using bond-resolved scanning tunneling microscopy, we determined the atomic structures of the nonbenzenoid heteroacene product and diverse organometallic intermediates. The tunneling spectroscopy measurements revealed the electronic structure of the nonbenzenoid heteroacene, which is supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The observed distinct organometallic intermediates during progression annealing combined with DFT calculations demonstrated that LBPy formation proceeds via electrocyclization of o-diisocyanides, trapping of heteroarynes by Au adatoms, and stepwise elimination of Au adatoms.

Synthesis of π-conjugated polycyclic compounds by late-stage extrusion of chalcogen fragments

The "precursor approach" has proved particularly valuable for the preparation of insoluble and unstable π-conjugated polycyclic compounds (π-CPCs), which cannot be synthesized via in-solution organic chemistry, for their improved processing, as well as for their electronic investigation both at the material and single-molecule scales. This method relies on the synthesis and processing of soluble and stable direct precursors of the target π-CPCs, followed by their final conversion in situ, triggered by thermal activation, photoirradiation or redox control. Beside well-established reactions involving the elimination of carbon-based small molecules, i.e., retro-Diels-Alder and decarbonylation processes, the late-stage extrusion of chalcogen fragments has emerged as a highly promising synthetic tool to access a wider variety of π-conjugated polycyclic structures and thus to expand the potentialities of the "precursor approach" for further improvements of molecular materials' performances. This review gives an overview of synthetic strategies towards π-CPCs involving the ultimate elimination of chalcogen fragments upon thermal activation, photoirradiation and electron exchange.

Effect of Internal Substituents on the Properties of Dibenzo[g,p]chrysene

We investigated the chemical and physical properties of internally functionalized dibenzo[g,p]chrysene (DBC) derivatives. These molecules exhibit chiral double-helicene-like structures that are configurationally stable at ambient temperatures. The internal substituents control the conformational change in the excited state, thereby modulating the emission intensity. Notably, the DBC derivative with a methylenedioxy unit undergoes aromatization through elimination of the internal substituent upon photoexcitation, resulting in the formation of DBC.

Design and Synthesis of a Polyketone Building Block with Vinyl Groups-9,10-Diethyl-9,10-ethenoanthracene-2,3,6,7(9H,10H)-tetraone-and a Preliminary Photoelectrical Property Study of Its Azaacene Derivatives

Polyketone compounds are powerful building blocks to synthesize various organic functional materials. Despite that a great many number of planar and non-planar polyketone building blocks have been developed, one issue is that generally there are only ketone functional groups on the molecular skeleton, which will constrain their transformation and further limit the development of functional materials. In this work, we report the design and synthesis of a building block 9,10-diethyl-9,10-ethenoanthracene-2,3,6,7(9H,10H)-tetraone with additional vinyl functional groups. In addition, its azaacene derivatives were also synthesized, and their preliminary physicochemical properties were studied.

Electrochemical Syntheses of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have surfaced as increasingly viable components in optoelectronics and material sciences. The development of highly efficient and atom-economic tools to prepare PAHs under exceedingly mild conditions constitutes a long-term goal. Traditional syntheses of PAHs have largely relied on multistep approaches or the conventional Scholl reaction. However, Scholl reactions are largely inefficient with electron-deficient substrates, require stoichiometric chemical oxidants, and typically occur in the presence of strong acid. In sharp contrast, electrochemistry has gained considerable momentum during the past decade as an alternative for the facile and straightforward PAHs assembly, generally via electro-oxidative dehydrogenative annulation, releasing molecular hydrogen as the sole stoichiometric byproduct by the hydrogen evolution reaction. This review provides an overview on the recent and significant advances in the field of electrochemical syntheses of various PAHs until January 2023.

π-Extended Rubrenes via Dearomative Annulative π-Extension Reaction

Among a large variety of organic semiconducting materials, rubrene (5,6,11,12-tetraphenyltetracene) represents one of the most prominent molecular entities mainly because of its unusually high carrier mobility. Toward finding superior rubrene-based organic semiconductors, several synthetic strategies for related molecules have been established. However, despite its outstanding properties and significant attention in the field of materials science, late-stage functionalizations of rubrene remains undeveloped, thereby limiting the accessible chemical space of rubrene-based materials. Herein, we report on a late-stage π-extension of rubrene by dearomative annulative π-extension (DAPEX), leading to the generation of rubrene derivatives having an extended acene core. The Diels-Alder reaction of rubrene with 4-methyl-1,2,4-triazoline-3,5-dione occurred to give 1:1 and 1:2 cycloadducts which further underwent iron-catalyzed annulative diarylation. The thus-formed 1:1 and 1:2 adducts were subjected to radical-mediated oxidation and thermal cycloreversion to furnish one-side and two-side π-extended rubrenes, respectively. These π-extended rubrenes displayed a marked red shift in absorption and emission spectra, clearly showing that the acene π-system of rubrene was extended not only structurally but also electronically. The X-ray crystallographic analysis uncovered interesting packing modes of these π-extended rubrenes. Particularly, two-side π-extended rubrene adopts a brick-wall packing structure with largely overlapping two-dimensional face-to-face π-π interactions. Finally, organic field-effect transistor devices using two-side π-extended rubrene were fabricated, and their carrier mobilities were measured. The observed maximum hole mobility of 1.49 × 10-3 cm2V-1 s-1, which is a comparable value to that of the thin-film transistor using rubrene, clearly shows the potential utility of two-side π-extended rubrene in organic electronics.

On-Surface Chemistry on Low-Reactive Surfaces

Zero-dimensional (0D), mono-dimensional (1D), or two-dimensional (2D) nanostructures with well-defined properties fabricated directly on surfaces are of growing interest. The fabrication of covalently bound nanostructures on non-metallic surfaces is very promising in terms of applications, but the lack of surface assistance during their synthesis is still a challenge to achieving the fabrication of large-scale and defect-free nanostructures. We discuss the state-of-the-art approaches recently developed in order to provide covalently bounded nanoarchitectures on passivated metallic surfaces, semiconductors, and insulators.

Synthesis of oligoacenes using precursors for evaluation of their electronic structures

Acenes, which are hydrocarbons comprising linearly fused benzene rings, have attracted considerable attention owing to their electronic structures and utility as organic electronic materials. However, the ease with which oligoacenes undergo oxidation increases with the number of linearly fused benzene rings owing to the increased energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital. The synthesis of naked oligoacenes with seven or more benzene rings is difficult because their open-shell structure renders them unstable. The recent development of a precursor method has enabled the in situ synthesis of oligoacenes under specific conditions and the spectroscopic observation of oligoacene in single crystals, in film matrices and under cryogenic conditions. Scanning tunneling microscopy and non-contact atomic force microscopy under ultra-high vacuum conditions have also made significant advances in the study of oligoacenes and oligoazaacenes. This paper reviews the recent progress in the synthesis of oligoacenes using precursors, with a particular focus on the chemical structures, synthesis, and reactivity of the precursors. The electronic properties of oligoacenes are also discussed in relation to the number of fused benzene rings, including their energy levels and spin states. These results will contribute to the synthesis and development of carbon nanomaterials with applications in the field of organic electronics.

An Iterative Approach to Unsaturated and Partially Saturated [7]Helicenes

We report a simple, iterative strategy for the synthesis of [7]helicenes starting from substituted 1,4-xylene building blocks. In the first step, we take advantage of the deprotonatable methyl groups to achieve ethano-bridged dimers. These are oxidatively coupled (without using metal-containing catalysts or light) using a hypervalent iodine reagent. Both steps are repeated to obtain the respective σ/π-helicenes. The degree of saturation can be controlled thermally during the oxidative coupling.

Preparative-scale synthesis of nonacene

During the last years we have witnessed progressive evolution of preparation of acenes with length up to dodecacene by on-surface synthesis in ultra-high vacuum or generation of acenes up to decacene in solid matrices at low temperatures. While these protocols with very specific conditions produce the acenes in amount of few molecules, the strategies leading to the acenes in large quantities dawdle behind. Only recently and after 70 years of synthetic attempts, heptacene has been prepared in bulk phase. However, the preparative scale synthesis of higher homologues still remains a formidable challenge. Here we report the preparation and characterisation of nonacene and show its excellent thermal and in-time stability.

Acenes, or linearly fused benzene rings, have both fundamental scientific interest and potential for electronic and material utility, but synthesis of acenes with more than six rings are difficult due to dimerization and degradation. Here the authors prepare nonacene and demonstrate that it is stable in inert conditions.

Corannulene-based acenes

Synthesis of diacenes still represents a considerable challenge due to their poor stability and low solubility.

Benzohexacene guide in accurate determination of field effect carrier mobilities in long acenes

Oligoacenes are promising materials in the field of electronic devices since they exhibit high charge carrier mobility and more particularly as a semiconductor in thin film transistors. Herein, we investigate the field effect charge carrier mobility of benzohexacene, recently obtained by cheletropic decarbonylation at moderate temperature. Initially, high performance bottom contact organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) were fabricated using tetracene to validate the fabrication process. For easier comparison, the geometries and channel sizes of the fabricated devices are the same for the two acenes. The charge transport in OTFTs being closely related to the organic thin film at the dielectric/organic semiconductor interface, the structural and morphological features of the thin films of both materials are therefore studied according to deposition conditions. Finally, by extracting relevant device parameters the benzohexacene based OTFT shows a four-probe contact-corrected hole mobility value of up to 0.2 cm2 V-1 s-1.

Doubly-Reduced Pentacene in Different Coordination Environments: X-ray Crystallographic and Theoretical Insights into Structural and Electronic Changes

Chemical reduction of pentacene (C22H14, 1) with Group 1 metals ranging from Li to Cs revealed that 1 readily undergoes a two-fold reduction to afford a doubly-reduced 12- anion in THF. With the help of 18-crown-6 ether used as a secondary coordinating agent, five π-complexes of 12- with different alkali metal counterions have been isolated and fully characterized. This series of complexes enables the first evaluation of alkali-metal ion binding patterns and structural changes of the 12- dianion based on the crystallographically confirmed examples. The difference in coordination of the smallest Li+ ion vs. heavier Group 1 congeners has been demonstrated. In addition, the use of benzo-15-crown-5 in the reaction of 1 with Na metal allowed the isolation of the unique solvent-separated ion product with a "naked" dianion, 12-. The detailed structural analyses of the series revealed the C-C bond alteration and core deformation of pentacene upon two-fold reduction and complexation. The negative charge localization at the central six-membered ring of 12- identified by theoretical calculations corroborates with the X-ray crystallographic results. Subsequent in-depth theoretical analysis provided a detailed description of changes in the electronic structure and aromaticity of pentacene upon reduction.

A Distorted Hybrid Corannulene-Dibenzobistetracene

We have designed and synthesized a new type of distorted nanographene by Diels-Alder and Scholl reactions that contains one dibenzobistetracene (DBT, 1) core and two end-capping corannulene units. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses demonstrate that nanographene 1 contains two [5] helicene subunits with a dihedral angle of 62°, consequently leading to the distorted DBT core. In addition, the photophysical properties and (non)aromaticity of 1 were investigated by the absorption and emission spectra in combination with theoretical calculations.

Synthesis and Absorption Properties of Long Acenoacenes

Acenes, polyaromatic hydrocarbons composed of linearly fused benzene rings have received immense attention due to their performance as semiconductors in organic optoelectronic applications. Their appealing physicochemical properties, such as extended delocalization, high charge carrier mobilities, narrow HOMO-LOMO gaps and partially radical character in the ground state make them very attractive targets for many potential applications. However, the intrinsic synthetic challenges of unsubstituted members such as high reactivity and poor solubility are still limiting factors for their wider exploitation. Herein, we report a simple general synthesis of a new family of angularly fused acenoacenes with improved stability compared to their isoelectronic linear counterparts. The synthesis and comprehensive characterization of pentacenopentacene, pentacenohexacene and hexacenohexacene, with lengths between decacene and dodecacene, are disclosed.

Controlled Fabrication and Characterization of Coronene Diimide-Based Insoluble Thin Films Produced by Photoinduced Cyclization

An insoluble thin film of a coronene diimide (CDI) derivative was fabricated from a soluble precursor of perylene diimide (PDI) by photoirradiation. We prepared a 1,7-diarylated PDI (TP-PDI) that can be converted into a coronene diimide (TP-CDI) derivative via a Scholl-type photocyclization reaction. This reaction was accompanied by structural changes from a twisted structure to a π-extended planar molecule. It was found that this photoconversion reaction occurs for both solution-based and thin-film-based reactants investigated by the changes of UV-vis absorption spectra and ¹ H NMR spectra. The photocyclization reactions were found to proceed smoothly in polar solvents. In the thin-film state, the solvent vapor annealing method is a key process for achieving photoconversion reaction. Additionally, the fabrication of multi-layered thin films was achieved without undesirable dissolution of the underlying layers because of different solubilities of TP-PDI and TP-CDI.

Pushing the Limits of Acene Chemistry: The Recent Surge of Large Acenes

Acenes, consisting of linearly fused benzene rings, are an important fundamental class of organic compounds with various applications. Hexacene is the largest acene that was synthesized and isolated in the 20th century. The next largest member of the acene family, heptacene, was observed in 2007 and since then significant progress in preparing acenes has been reported. Significantly larger acenes, up to undecacene, could be studied by means of low-temperature matrix isolation spectroscopy with in situ photolytic generation, and up to dodecacene by means of on-surface synthesis employing innovative precursors and highly defined crystalline metal surfaces under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. The review summarizes recent experimental and theoretical advances in the area of acenes that give a significantly deeper insight into the fundamental properties and nature of the electronic structure of this fascinating class of organic compounds.

On-surface synthesis of graphene nanostructures with π-magnetism

Graphene nanostructures (GNs) including graphene nanoribbons and nanoflakes have attracted tremendous interest in the field of chemistry and materials science due to their fascinating electronic, optical and magnetic properties. Among them, zigzag-edged GNs (ZGNs) with precisely-tunable π-magnetism hold great potential for applications in spintronics and quantum devices. To improve the stability and processability of ZGNs, substitutional groups are often introduced to protect the reactive edges in organic synthesis, which renders the study of their intrinsic properties difficult. In contrast to the conventional wet-chemistry method, on-surface bottom-up synthesis presents a promising approach for the fabrication of both unsubstituted ZGNs and functionalized ZGNs with atomic precision via surface-catalyzed transformation of rationally-designed precursors. The structural and spin-polarized electronic properties of these ZGNs can then be characterized with sub-molecular resolution by means of scanning probe microscopy techniques. This review aims to highlight recent advances in the on-surface synthesis and characterization of a diversity of ZGNs with π-magnetism. We also discuss the important role of precursor design and reaction stimuli in the on-surface synthesis of ZGNs and their π-magnetism origin. Finally, we will highlight the existing challenges and future perspective surrounding the synthesis of novel open-shell ZGNs towards next-generation quantum technology.

En Route Towards the Control of Luminescent, Optically-Active 3D Architectures

π-Extended systems are key components for the development of future organic electronic technologies. While conceiving molecules with improved properties is fundamental for the evolution of materials science, keeping control over the 3D arrangement of molecules represents an ever-expanding challenge. Herein, a synthetic protocol to replace carbon atoms of π-systems by dissymmetric phosphorus atoms is reported; in particular, it allowed for conceiving new fused phosphapyrene derivatives with improved properties. The presence of dissymmetric phosphorus atoms precluded the formation of excimers. X-ray diffraction revealed that, meanwhile, strong intermolecular interactions are taking place in the solid state. The phosphapyrenes photoluminesce in the visible region with high quantum yields; importantly, they are CD-active. In addition, the unique non-planar features of phosphorus atoms allowed for the control of the 3D arrangement of molecules, rendering lemniscate-like structures. Based on our discoveries, we envisage the possibility to construct higher-order, chiral 3D architectures from larger phosphorus-containing π-systems.

Dehydrogenative 6π heterocyclization under visible light irradiation and mechanistic insights

A visible-light-driven oxidative 6π heterocyclization for the synthesis of structurally diverse π-conjugated polycyclic 1-aminoisoquinolines has been developed. DFT calculations demonstrated that deprotonation is the rate-determining step.

The substituent effect on the photophysical and charge transport properties of non-planar dibenzo[a,m]rubicenes

This paper will provide some guidelines on developing new non-planar organic semiconductors with high charge carrier mobilities applied in optoelectronic devices.

Synthesis and Physicochemical Properties of 2,7-Disubstituted Phenanthro[2,1-b:7,8-b']dithiophenes

We report the design, synthesis, and physicochemical properties of an array of phenanthro[2,1-b:7,8-b']dithiophene (PDT-2) derivatives by introducing five types of alkyl (C_nH_2n+1; n = 8, 10, 12, 13, and 14) or two types of decylthienyl groups at 2,7-positions of the PDT-2 core. Systematic investigation revealed that the alkyl length and the type of side chains have a great effect on the physicochemical properties. For alkylated PDT-2, the solubility was gradually decreased as the chain length was increased. For instance, C₈-PDT-2 exhibited the highest solubility (5.0 g/L) in chloroform. Additionally, substitution with 5-decylthienyl groups showed poor solubility in both chloroform and toluene, whereas PDT-2 with 4-decylthienyl groups resulted in higher solubility. Furthermore, UV-vis absorption of PDT-2 derivatives substituted by decylthienyl groups showed a redshift, indicating the extension of their π-conjugation length. This work reveals that modification of the conjugated core by alkyl or decylthienyl side chains may be an efficient strategy by which to change the physicochemical properties, which might lead to the development of high-performance organic semiconductors.

A Free-Radical Prompted Barrierless Gas-Phase Synthesis of Pentacene

A representative, low-temperature gas-phase reaction mechanism synthesizing polyacenes via ring annulation exemplified by the formation of pentacene (C22 H14 ) along with its benzo[a]tetracene isomer (C22 H14 ) is unraveled by probing the elementary reaction of the 2-tetracenyl radical (C18 H11 . ) with vinylacetylene (C4 H4 ). The pathway to pentacene-a prototype polyacene and a fundamental molecular building block in graphenes, fullerenes, and carbon nanotubes-is facilitated by a barrierless, vinylacetylene mediated gas-phase process thus disputing conventional hypotheses that synthesis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) solely proceeds at elevated temperatures. This low-temperature pathway can launch isomer-selective routes to aromatic structures through submerged reaction barriers, resonantly stabilized free-radical intermediates, and methodical ring annulation in deep space eventually changing our perception about the chemistry of carbon in our universe.

Designing Organic Semiconductors with Ultrasmall Reorganization Energies: Insights from Molecular Symmetry, Aromaticity and Energy Gap

An intuitive design strategy for organic semiconductors with ultrasmall reorganization energy (λ) is proposed. Learning from a total of 98 molecules condensed by benzene and/or thiophene rings, we find that linear compounds in D_2h symmetry have the smallest λ in each of the three molecular categories (PAHs, thienothiophenes, benzothiophenes). 2D expanded analogues that contain these D_2h building blocks also give unusually small λ (<100 meV). λ of 1D elongated polycyclics show an approximate linear correlation with the ring-averaged HOMA indices and the HOMO-LUMO gaps. Compared to the symmetry principle, the HOMA and energy gap, though much less intuitive to design a priori, provide additional quantitative guidelines to further optimize λ through substitutions, for example, when molecules have the same symmetries. Our results indicate that ring-fused π-conjugates that have narrower HOMO-LUMO gaps and are less aromatic are better candidates to achieve ultrasmall λ.

Thiophene-fused polyaromatics: synthesis, columnar liquid crystal, fluorescence and electrochemical properties

Efficient syntheses that incorporate thiophene units into different extended conjugation systems are of interest as a result of the prevalence of sulfur-rich aromatics in organic electronics. Self-organization by using liquid crystal properties is also desirable for optimal processing of organic electronics and optical devices. In this article, we describe a two-step process to access extended regioisomers of polyaromatics with different shapes. This method involves an efficient single or double benzannulation from an alkyne precursor followed by Scholl cyclization. In spite of their unconventional nondiscoid shape, these materials display stable columnar liquid crystal phases. We examine the photophysical and electrochemical properties and find that structurally very similar thiophene-fused polyaromatics display significant differences in their properties.

Molecular Semiconductors for Logic Operations: Dead-End or Bright Future?

The field of organic electronics has been prolific in the last couple of years, leading to the design and synthesis of several molecular semiconductors presenting a mobility in excess of 10 cm² V^-1 s^-1 . However, it is also started to recently falter, as a result of doubtful mobility extractions and reduced industrial interest. This critical review addresses the community of chemists and materials scientists to share with it a critical analysis of the best performing molecular semiconductors and of the inherent charge transport physics that takes place in them. The goal is to inspire chemists and materials scientists and to give them hope that the field of molecular semiconductors for logic operations is not engaged into a dead end. To the contrary, it offers plenty of research opportunities in materials chemistry.

Acenes beyond organic electronics: sensing of singlet oxygen and stimuli-responsive materials

Although they are often detrimental in organic electronics, the cycloaddition reactions of acenes, especially with singlet oxygen, are useful in a range of responsive materials.

A Practical General Method for the Preparation of Long Acenes

The field of long acenes, the narrowest of the zig-zag graphene nanoribbons, has been an area of significant interest in the past decade because of its potential applications in organic electronics, spintronics and plasmonics. However the low solubility and high reactivity of these compounds has so far hindered their preparation on large scales. We report here a concise strategy for the synthesis of higher acenes through Diels-Alder condensation of arynes with a protected tetraene ketone. After deprotection by cleavage of the ketal, the obtained monoketone precursors cleanly yield the corresponding acenes through quantitative cheletropic thermal decarbonylation in the solid state, at moderate temperatures of 155 to 205 °C. This approach allows the preparation of heptacene, benzo[a]hexacene, cis- and trans-dibenzopentacene and offers a valuable new method for the synthesis of even larger acenes.

New synthetic approaches for hexacene and its application in thin-film transistors

Hexacene was synthesized at the single molecule level and macroscopic scale, respectively. The film mobility of hexacene was observed at 0.123 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹.