Synfacts 2009(5): 0495-0495  
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1216564
Synthesis of Materials and Unnatural Products
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart ˙ New York

Acenes One Ring at a Time

Contributor(s):Timothy M. Swager
C.-H. Lin*, K.-H. Lin, B. Pal, L.-D. Tsou
Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
Iterative Synthesis of Acenes via Homo-Elongation
Chem. Commun.  2009,  803-805  
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
22 April 2009 (online)


Significance

Higher acenes have emerged as a very important class of organic semiconductors. This approach to their synthesis proceeds in high efficiency and yields final products with electron-withdrawing groups attached to the acenes. The electron-withdrawing groups are of interest for increased stability in air as well as the ability to create materials capable of transporting electrons. In total, 28 different extended acenes were synthesized.

Comment

It was demonstrated that higher acenes can be produced by this method from ­protected pentacenes and heptacenes. This ­feature plus the stability imparted by the electron-withdrawing groups suggests that this method may allow for superior access to higher acenes that are of interest for investigations of organic field-effect transistors.