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We have developed a family of dinuclear complexes using 2,7-disubstituted 1,8-naphthalenediol ligands that bind by molecular recognition to two neighboring phosphate diesters of the DNA backbone with the dinuclear Cu II and Ni II complexes exhibiting a severe cytotoxicity for human cancer cells. To increase the binding affinity, we intended to synthesize the corresponding dinuclear Fe III complex. Surprisingly, we obtained a tetranuclear Fe III perylene-based complex instead of the expected dinuclear Fe III naphthalene-based complex. In order to establish a rational and reproducible synthesis, we carefully analyzed this reaction. This revealed a multistep oxidative cascade reaction including the pre-coordination of Fe II ions in the N 3 -binding pockets, the Lewis-acid assisted MOM-deprotection of the pre-ligand by the pre-oriented Fe II ions, two oxidative aromatic C-C coupling reactions, oxidation of the perylene-based backbone and of Fe II to Fe III . The careful analysis of bond lengths, HOMA indices (harmonic oscillation model of aromaticity), FTIR and UV-Vis-NIR spectra supported by DFT calculations reveals the presence of an aromatic 18-electron oxidized perylenequinone ligand backbone. In summary, a multistep cascade reaction involving in total a 10-electron oxidation has been established for the straight-forward synthesis of an unprecedented perylenequinone-based ligand system., (© 2024 The Author(s). Chemistry - A European Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

This article presents trioxa[9]circulene (3) as a novel member of hetero[n]circulenes. Its synthesis began with the synthesis of dimethoxydioxa[8]helicene (5) and used dimethoxydiepoxycyclononatrinaphthalene (4) as a key intermediate, despite the condensation reaction predominantly yielding a 1,4-addition byproduct. The structures and properties of 3-5 were extensively investigated using experimental and computational methods. Analysis of the crystal structures reveal elongation of the internal C-C bonds in the nine-membered ring of 3 compared to 4 and 5. Computational studies demonstrate the remarkable flexibility of trioxa[9]circulene's saddle-shaped polycyclic framework, while the other two compounds are rigid with large racemization barriers. Optically pure forms of 4 and 5 exhibit absorption and luminescence dissymmetry factors on the order of 10 -2 , with smaller values observed for compound 4. In the crystal structures, molecules of 3 stack to form columns with remarkable π-π overlap, and the π-π interactions of 4 exhibit short intermolecular C-to-C contacts. Consequently, the solution-processed film of 4 functioned as a p-type organic semiconductor in field effect transistors., (© 2024 The Authors. Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Replacement of sp 2 -hybridized carbon in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by boron affords electron-deficient π-scaffolds due to the vacant p z -orbital of three-coordinate boron with the potential for pronounced electronic interactions with electron-rich metal surfaces. Using a diboraperylene diborinic acid derivative as precursor and a controlled on-surface non-covalent synthesis approach, we report on a self-assembled chiral supramolecular kagome network on an Ag(111) surface stabilized by intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions at low temperature. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) reveal a flat band at ca. 0.33 eV above the Fermi level which is localized at the molecule center, in good agreement with tight-binding model calculations of flat bands characteristic for kagome lattices., (© 2024 The Authors. Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Increasing the chemical diversity of organic semiconductors is essential to develop efficient electronic devices. In particular, the replacement of carbon-carbon (C-C) bonds with isoelectronic boron-nitrogen (B-N) bonds allows precise modulation of the electronic properties of semiconductors without significant structural changes. Although some researchers have reported the preparation of B 2 N 2 anthracene derivatives with two B-N bonds, no compounds with continuous multiple BN units have been prepared yet. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of a B 2 N 2 anthracene derivative with a BNBN unit formed by converting the BOBN unit at the zigzag edge. Compared to the all-carbon analogue 2-phenylanthracene, BNBN anthracene exhibits significant variations in the C-C bond length and a larger highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy gap. The experimentally determined bond lengths and electronic properties of BNBN anthracene are confirmed through theoretical calculations. The BOBN anthracene organic light-emitting diode, used as a blue host, exhibits a low driving voltage. The findings of this study may facilitate the development of larger acenes with multiple BN units and potential applications in organic electronics., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

This article presents two groups of V-shaped π-scaffolds that consist of two N-heteroacene units fused with either a rigid or flexible eight-membered ring. These rigid and flexible N-heteroacene dimers were synthesized through the condensation of tetraphenylenetetraone with the corresponding diamine and the Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling of tetrabromodibenzo[a,e]cyclooctatetraene with the corresponding diamine, respectively. A comparison of electronic structures and properties of the two groups of V-shaped N-heteroacene dimers shows subtle difference between the rigid and flexible eight-membered ring linkers in forming extended π-systems. X-ray crystallography of these V-shaped molecules has revealed interesting π-π interaction modes, which are dependent on the central connecting units and substituting groups. These π-π interactions between the V-shaped π-scaffolds have enabled the molecules to function as organic semiconductors in solution-processed field effect transistors., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

A gold-catalyzed cascade cyclization of naphthalene-tethered allenynes gave strained fused phenanthrene derivatives. The reaction proceeds through the nucleophilic reaction of an alkyne with the activated allene to generate a vinyl cation intermediate, followed by arylation with a tethered naphthalene ring to form the 4H-cyclopenta[def]phenanthrene (CPP) scaffold. When using aryl-substituted substrates on the alkyne terminus, the gold-catalyzed reaction produced dibenzofluorene derivatives along with the CPP derivatives. Selective formation of CPP and dibenzofluorene derivatives depending on the reaction conditions is also presented., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

A kinetically-stabilized nitrogen-doped triangulene cation derivative has been synthesized and isolated as the stable diradical with a triplet ground state that exhibits near-infrared emission. As was the case for a triangulene derivative we previously synthesized, the triplet ground state with a large singlet-triplet energy gap was experimentally confirmed by magnetic measurements. In contrast to the triangulene derivative, the nitrogen-doped triangulene cation derivative is highly stable even in solution under air and exhibits near-infrared absorption and emission because the alternancy symmetry of triangulene is broken by the nitrogen cation. Breaking the alternancy symmetry of triplet alternant hydrocarbon diradicals by a nitrogen cation would therefore be an effective strategy to create stable diradicals possessing magnetic properties similar to the parent hydrocarbons but with different electrochemical and photophysical properties., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

New molecular scaffolds of C-, Z- and box-shaped configurations are constructed by fusing phenazine and pyrene units with oxanorbornene. As revealed by X-ray crystallography, the C-shaped molecules exhibit two interesting π-π stacking modes of phenazine depending on the substituting groups, and the box-shaped molecule accommodates two chloroform molecules in the cavity and forms H-bonds with another four molecules of chloroform. The C- and Z-shaped molecules as a pair of diastereomers exhibit almost the same charge transfer absorption and emission including positive solvatochromism, indicating that the intramolecular charge transfer between pyrene (π-donor) and phenazine (π-acceptor) is not dependent on the overall molecular geometry., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The incorporation of heteroatoms into hydrocarbon compounds greatly expands the chemical space of molecular materials. In this context, B-N doping takes a center stage due to its isosterism with a C=C-bond. Herein, we present a new and modular synthetic concept to access novel diazadiborabenzo[b]triphenylenes 7 a-h using the B-N doped biradical 16 as intermediate. Characterization of the photophysical properties revealed the emission spectra of the diazadibora benzo[b]triphenylenes 7 a-h can conveniently be tuned by small changes of the substitution on the boron-atom. All of the diazadibora compounds show a short life-time phosphorescence. Additionally, we were able to rationalize the excited-state relaxation of the diazadiboraacene 7 a via intersystem crossing by quantum chemical calculations. The new synthetic strategy provides an elegant route to various novel B-N doped acenes with great potential for applications in molecular materials., (© 2023 The Authors. Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

A novel, benign synthetic strategy towards soluble tetra(peri-naphthylene)anthracene (TPNA) decorated with triisopropylsilylethynyl substituents has been established. The compound is perfectly stable under ambient conditions in air and features intense and strongly bathochromically shifted UV/vis absorption and emission bands reaching to near-IR region beyond 900 nm. Cyclic voltammetry measurements revealed four facilitated reversible redox events comprising two oxidations and two reductions. These remarkable experimental findings were corroborated by theoretical studies to identify the TPNA platform a particularly useful candidate for the development of functional near-IR fluorophores upon appropriate functionalization., (© 2022 The Authors. Chemistry - A European Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Chiral nanographenes with both high fluorescence quantum yields (Φ F ) and large dissymmetry factors (g lum ) are essential to the development of circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) materials. However, most studies have been focused on the improvement of g lum , whereas how to design highly emissive chiral nanographenes is still unclear. In this work, we propose a new design strategy to achieve chiral nanographenes with high Φ F by helical π-extension of strongly luminescent chromophores while maintaining the frontier molecular orbital (FMO) distribution pattern. Chiral nanographene with perylene as the core and two dibenzo[6]helicene fragments as the wings has been synthesized, which exhibits a record high Φ F of 93 % among the reported chiral nanographenes and excellent CPL brightness (B CPL ) of 32 M -1  cm -1 ., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

A modular synthesis of both difurooxa- and difuroazadiborepins from a common precursor is demonstrated. Starting from 2,2'-bifuran, after protection of the positions 5 and 5' with bulky silyl groups, formation of the novel polycycles proceeds through opening of the furan rings to a dialkyne and subsequent re-cyclization in the borylation step. The resulting bifuran-fused diborepins show pronounced stability, highly planar tricyclic structures, and intense blue light emission. Deprotection and transformation into dibrominated building blocks that can be incorporated into π-extended materials can be performed in one step. Detailed DFT calculations provide information about the aromaticity of the constituent rings of this polycycle., (© 2022 The Authors. Chemistry - A European Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Design, synthesis, and isolation of a Kekulé hydrocarbon with a triplet ground state is described. Its triplet ground state was unambiguously confirmed by ESR experiments, and the structure and fundamental physical properties were also revealed. The key feature of the molecular design is the decrease in the bonding interaction in the singlet state by aromatic stabilization of benzene rings and the increase of the exchange interaction of unpaired electrons which are favorable for the triplet state. These results contribute to the development of hydrocarbon-based organic magnetic materials., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

A two-step synthesis of less accessible spiro[cyclobutene-1,9'-fluorene] compounds from biaryl-alkynes and 2-(2-fluoropyridin-1-ium-1-yl)-1,1-bis((trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl)ethan-1-ide, which serves as a potent precursor for outstandingly electrophilic Tf 2 C=CH 2 , has been developed. This synthetic methodology includes selective formation of gem-bis(triflyl)cyclobutenes from biaryl-alkynes and Tf 2 C=CH 2 followed by desulfinative spirocyclisation mediated by 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropyl alcohol (HFIP). Besides, on the basis of the chameleonic reactivity of sulfone functionality, several derivatisations of triflylated spiro[cyclobutene-1,9'-fluorene] products have been successfully achieved., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

There is an urgent need for the development of new treatments against trypanosomatid parasites; the causative agents of some of the most debilitating diseases in the developing world. This work targets an interesting 6-5-6-6 fused carboline scaffold, accessing a range of substituted derivatives through stereospecific intramolecular Pictet-Spengler condensation. Modification of the cyclisation conditions allowed retention of the carbamate protecting group and gave insight into the reaction mechanism. Compounds' bioactivities were measured against T. brucei, T. cruzi, L. major and HeLa cells. We have identified promising pan-trypanocidal lead compounds based on the core scaffold, and highlight key SAR trends which will be useful for the future development of these compounds as potent trypanocidal agents., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Herein we devise and execute a new synthesis of a pristine boron-doped nanographene. Our target boron-doped nanographene was designed based on DFT calculations to possess a low LUMO energy level and a narrow band gap derived from its precise geometry and B-doping arrangement. Our synthesis of this target, a doubly B-doped hexabenzopentacene (B 2 -HBP), employs six net C-H borylations of an alkene, comprising consecutive hydroboration/electrophilic borylation/dehydrogenation and BBr 3 /AlCl 3 /2,6-dichloropyridine-mediated C-H borylation steps. As predicted by our calculations, B 2 -HBP absorbs strongly in the visible region and emits in the NIR up to 1150 nm in o-dichlorobenzene solutions. Furthermore, B 2 -HBP possesses a very low LUMO level, showing two reversible reductions at -1.00 V and -1.17 V vs. Fc + /Fc. Our methodology is surprisingly selective despite its implementation of unfunctionalized precursors and offers a new approach to the synthesis of pristine B-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons., (© 2021 The Authors. Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Rapid molecular-weight growth of hydrocarbons occurs in flames, in industrial synthesis, and potentially in cold astrochemical environments. A variety of high- and low-temperature chemical mechanisms have been proposed and confirmed, but more facile pathways may be needed to explain observations. We provide laboratory confirmation in a controlled pyrolysis environment of a recently proposed mechanism, radical-radical chain reactions of resonance-stabilized species. The recombination reaction of phenyl (c-C 6 H 5 ) and benzyl (c-C 6 H 5 CH 2 ) radicals produces both diphenylmethane and diphenylmethyl radicals, the concentration of the latter increasing with rising temperature. A second phenyl addition to the product radical forms both triphenylmethane and triphenylmethyl radicals, confirming the propagation of radical-radical chain reactions under the experimental conditions of high temperature (1100-1600 K) and low pressure (ca. 3 kPa). Similar chain reactions may contribute to particle growth in flames, the interstellar medium, and industrial reactors., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The carboarylation reaction of biphenyl-alkynes was successfully triggered by electrophilic attack of 1,1-bis(triflyl)ethylene on the alkyne moiety to give polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) decorated by superacidic carbon acid functionality. Neutralisation of thus obtained acids with NaHCO 3 yielded the corresponding sodium salts, which showed improved solubility in both aqueous and organic solvents., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Replacement of the allylic C=C-C unit with a N-B-N unit at each of the three zigzag edges of [4]triangulene gives rise to B 3 N 6 -[4]triangulene, which is envisioned to represent a key structural unit of a new hypothetical boron carbon nitride (BC 4 N). A tert-butylated B 3 N 6 -[4]triangulene has been successfully synthesized by three-fold nitrogen-directed borylation, and the X-ray crystallographic analysis indicates that its slightly bent triangular polycyclic framework can be viewed as a 1,3,5-triphenylbenzene connected by three 4π-electron N-B-N units. The HN-B-NH moiety provides a dual hydrogen-bond donor, which forms H-bonds with halide or carboxylate anions in solution, and form DD-AA hydrogen-bond arrays with 2,7-di(tert-butyl)-pyrene-4,5,9,10-tetraone in the co-crystal. Moreover, the blue fluorescence of B 3 N 6 -[4]triangulene in solution is responsive to binding p-nitrobenzoate anion through hydrogen bonds., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

4-Aryl-1,3-dihydroxy-2-naphthoates having the less accessible 1,2,3,4-tetrasubstituted naphthalene scaffold and that show photoluminescence emission from solid state as well as in solutions, were selectively synthesized from brominated lactol silyl ethers through the 1,2-aryl-migrative ring rearrangement reaction., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Cycloaddition-dehydration involving a BNBN-butadiene analogue at the bay region of a dibenzoperylene and a non-enolizable aldehyde provides a novel strategy for incorporation of the oxadiazadiborinane (B 2 N 2 CO) ring into the scaffold of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon resulting in highly emissive compounds., (© 2021 The Authors. Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The symmetric biphenol 3,3',5,5'-tetramethyl-2,2'-biphenol is a well-known ligand building block and is used in transition-metal catalysis. In the literature, there are several synthetic routes for the preparation of this exceptional molecule. Herein, the focus is on the sustainable electrochemical synthesis of 3,3',5,5'-tetramethyl-2,2'-biphenol. A brief overview of the developmental history of this inconspicuous molecule, which is of great interest for technical applications, but has many challenges for its synthesis, is provided. The electro-organic method is a powerful, sustainable, and efficient alternative to conventional synthesis to obtain this symmetric biphenol up to the kilogram scale. Another section of this article is devoted to different process management strategies in batch-type and flow electrolysis and their respective advantages., (© 2021 The Authors. Chemistry - A European Journal published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Access to dithiophene-fused oxadiborepins and the first azadiborepins attained via a modular synthesis route are presented. The new compounds emit intense blue light, some of which demonstrate fluorescence quantum yields close to unity. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) revealed electrochemically reversible one-electron reduction processes. The weak aromatic character of the novel 1,2,7-azadiborepin ring is demonstrated with in-depth theoretical investigations using nucleus-independent chemical shift (NICS) scans and anisotropy of the induced current density (ACID) calculations., (© 2021 The Authors. Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Dimeric cycloparaphenylene (CPP) architectures with well-defined flipping motion are constructed taking advantage of an efficient cyclocondensation reaction. Variable-temperature nuclear magnetic resonance (VT-NMR) analyses and theoretical calculations indicate rapid interconversion of cis and trans conformers at room temperature, while energetically favorable trans conformer exists at low temperature with the metastable cis conformer hidden. The trihexylsilylethynyl-substituted dimer exhibits bright emission in solution at 616 nm with quantum yield up to 80 %, representing the brightest CPP-based emitter beyond 600 nm. A 1:2 host-guest complex of the dimer and C 60 is established with negative cooperativity, demonstrating the first example of 1:2 complex from CPP derivatives., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Owing to an increasing demand on high performance and rare-metal free energy storage systems, organic rechargeable battery has attracted much attention. To increase the capacity of the whole battery, we have fabricated coin-type buckypaper cells composed of a trioxotriangulene neutral radical derivative (H 3 TOT) and single-walled carbon nanotubes as a cathode and lithium metal plate as an anode without current collector. The cells exhibited a stable charge-discharge behavior even at a 90 wt % H 3 TOT content with a high-rate performance of 10 C originating from high electrical conductivity of H 3 TOT. Furthermore, based on the four-stage redox ability of H 3 TOT, the H 3 TOT 90 wt % cathode showed a high capacity of approximately 260 mAh g -1 and a high energy density of 546 Wh g -1 . In view of the simple fabrication of the cathode and excellent performance, TOT-based buckypaper will open a new strategy for the flexible cells for next-generation energy storages., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The chemical reduction of a π-expanded polycyclic framework comprising a cyclooctatetraene moiety, octaphenyltetrabenzocyclooctatetraene, with lithium metal readily affords the corresponding tetra-anion instead of the expected aromatic dianion. As revealed by X-ray crystallography, the highly contorted tetra-anion is stabilized by coordination of two internally bound Li + , while two external cations remain solvent separated. The variable-temperature 7 Li NMR spectra in THF confirm the presence of three types of Li + ions and clearly differentiate internal binding, consistent with the crystal structure. Density-functional theory calculations suggest that the formation of the highly charged tetra-reduced carbanion is stabilized through Li + coordination under the applied experimental conditions., (© 2020 The Authors. Angewandte Chemie International Edition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Reported here are novel formic-acid-mediated rearrangements of dearomatized acylphloroglucinols to access a structurally diverse group of synthetic acylphloroglucinol scaffolds (SASs). Density-functional theory (DFT) optimized orbital and stereochemical analyses shed light on the mechanism of these rearrangements. Products were evaluated by multiplexed activity profiling (MAP), an unbiased platform which assays multiple biological readouts simultaneously at single-cell resolution for markers of cell signaling, and can aid in distinguishing genuine activity from assay interference. MAP identified a number of SASs that suppressed pS6 (Ser235/236), a marker for activation of the mTOR and ERK signaling pathways. These results illustrate how biomimetic synthesis and multiplexed activity profiling can reveal the pharmacological potential of novel chemotypes by diversity-oriented synthesis., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Systematic design and self-assembly of metal-organic polyhedra with predictable configurations has been a long-standing challenge in crystal engineering. Herein a concave polyoxovanadate cluster, [V 6 O 6 (OCH 3 ) 9 (SO 4 ) 4 ] 5- , which can be generated in situ under specific reaction conditions, is reported. Based on this cluster, a potential trivalent molecular building block, [V 6 O 6 (OCH 3 ) 9 (SO 4 )(CO 2 ) 3 ] 2- , can be obtained by the bridging-ligand-substitution strategy and it possesses appropriate angle information for the design of molecular cubes. Utilizing the face-directed assembly of the trivalent molecular building block and a diverse set of tetratopic carboxylate linkers, a series of metal-organic cubes (VMOC-1-VMOC-5) with the same topology but different functionalities and dimensions were designed and constructed. An inclusion study using VMOC-3 shows that they are potential molecular receptors for selective capture of size-matching polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon guest molecules., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Helicenes and extended helical π-conjugated compounds have been widely studied, but most of the systems contain only aromatic benzene or heterocyclic rings, showing local aromatic character. Herein, new S-shaped double [6]helicene 1, which has two embedded para-quinodimethane (p-QDM) units, is reported. Due to the existence of a proaromatic quinoidal substructure, it has open-shell diradical character. Its model compound, C-shaped single [6]helicene 2 containing one p-QDM unit, was also synthesized and compared. Their ground-state structures and electronic properties were systematically studied by a combination of various experimental methods assisted by theoretical calculations. Compound 1 has a double-helical structure in the crystal, with the two terminal [6]helicene units bent in opposite directions (i.e., anti form). However, an anti/syn isomerization process with a moderate interconversion energy barrier was observed on the NMR timescale. Compound 1 shows amphoteric redox behavior. It also exhibits open-shell diradical character (y 0 =12.1 %) and a small singlet-triplet gap. On the other hand, compound 2 has a typical closed-shell nature. The dication and dianion of 1 also show open-shell diradical character. The dianion of 2 and the tetraanion of 1 exhibit similar electronic structures to their respective isoelectronic structures, that is, [6]helicene and a double [6]helicene. This work provides some insights into the design and synthesis of stable helical π systems with open-shell diradical character and magnetic activity., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Formation and structural modification of oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (oxyPAHs) by UV irradiation on minerals have recently been proposed as a possible channel of PAH transformation in astrochemical and prebiotic scenarios of possible relevance for the origin of life. Herein, it is demonstrated that high-energy proton-beam irradiation in the presence of various meteorites, including stony iron, achondrite, and chondrite types, promotes the conversion of two representative oxyPAH compounds, 1-naphthol and 1,8-dihydroxynaphthalene, to complex mixtures of oxygenated and oligomeric derivatives. The main identified products include polyhydroxy derivatives, isomeric dimers encompassing benzofuran and benzopyran scaffolds, and, notably, a range of quinones and perylene derivatives. Addition of urea, a prebiotically relevant chemical precursor, expanded the range of identified species to include, among others, quinone diimines. Proton-beam irradiation of oxyPAH modulated by nitrogen-containing compounds such as urea is proposed as a possible contributory mechanism for the formation and processing of insoluble organic matter in meteorites and in prebiotic processes., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are key components of organic electronics. The electronic properties of these carbon-rich materials can be controlled through doping with heteroatoms such as B and N, however, few convenient syntheses of BN-doped PAHs have been reported. Described herein is the rationally designed, two-step syntheses of previously unknown ixene and BN-doped ixene (B 2 N 2 -ixene), and their characterizations. Compared to ixene, B 2 N 2 -ixene absorbs longer-wavelength light and has a smaller electrochemical energy gap. In addition to its single-crystal structure, scanning tunneling microscopy revealed that B 2 N 2 -ixene adopts a nonplanar geometry on a Au(111) surface. The experimentally obtained electronic structure of B 2 N 2 -ixene and the effect of BN-doping were confirmed by DFT calculations. This synthesis enables the efficient and convenient construction of BN-doped systems with extended π-conjugation that can be used in versatile organic electronics applications., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

An intramolecular benzyne-phenolate [4+2] cycloaddition is reported. Benzyne precursors, having vicinal halogen-sulfonate functionalities, linked with a phenol(ate) by various tether groups undergo efficient intramolecular [4+2] cycloaddition by treatment with either Ph 3 MgLi or nBuLi for halogen-metal exchange to form various benzobarrelenes., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Higher homologues of dibenzo[c,e][1,2]dithiin were synthesized from oligophenyls bearing multiple methylthio groups. Single-crystal X-ray analyses revealed their nonplanar structures and helical enantiomers of higher meta-congener 6. Such dibenzo[1,2]dithiin homologues are demonstrated to be applicable to lithium-ion batteries as cathode, displaying a high capacity of 118 mAh g -1 at a current density of 50 mA g -1 ., (© 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.)

A key challenge in the synthesis of diterpenoid alkaloids lies in identifying strategies that rapidly construct their multiply bridged polycyclic skeletons. Existing approaches to these structurally intricate secondary metabolites are discussed in the context of a "bond-network analysis" of molecular frameworks, which was originally devised by Corey some 40 years ago. The retrosynthesis plans that emerge from a topological analysis of the highly bridged frameworks of the diterpenoid alkaloids are discussed in the context of eight recent syntheses of hetidine and hetisine natural products and their derivatives. This Minireview highlights the extent to which network analyses of the type described here sufficed for designing synthesis plans, as well as areas where they had to be amalgamated with functional group oriented synthetic planning considerations., (© 2019 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.)

Indolo[3,2-b]carbazole presents a π-skeleton with a remarkable electronic structure and interesting potential applications. It is, however, also associated with ambiguity and controversy. Herein, new derivatives of indolo[3,2-b]carbazole are reported and they have enabled a comprehensive study on the electronic structure of indolo[3,2-b]carbazole and the development of a new n-type organic semiconductor. Experimental and computational studies show that indolo[3,2-b]carbazole has a largely localized p-benzoquinonediimine moiety and significant antiaromaticity. When substituted with (4-silylethynyl)phenyl groups, the indolo[3,2-b]carbazole exhibits one-dimensional π-π stacking and functions as an n-type organic semiconductor in solution-processed field effect transistors., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The asymmetric total synthesis of farnesin, a rearranged ent-kaurenoid, was achieved through a convergent approach involving photo-Nazarov and intramolecular aldol cyclizations to build the syn-syn-syn hydrofluorenol ABC ring system and bicyclo[3.2.1]octane CD ring system in the first application of a UV-light-induced excited-state Nazarov cyclization of a non-aromatic dicyclic divinyl ketone in a total synthesis. Unlike the conventional acid-promoted ground-state Nazarov reaction, the excited-state Nazarov reaction enables stereospecific formation of the highly strained syn-syn-syn-fused hydrofluorenone scaffold through a disrotatory cyclization., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A vector was introduced to quantitatively describe the pyramidalization of 1,3,5-trisubstituted benzene (phenine). The vector, named curved phenine normal vector (CPNV), defined the direction of pyramidalization of the trigonal phenine panel and quantified the degree of pyramidalization. The relative orientation of the two CPNVs further defined a dihedral angle, which quantified interphenine torsions. The CPNV analysis visually showed the geometric features of nanometer-sized molecules by revealing the important role of torsions. Biased electrostatic potentials were also correlated with CPNV pyramidalizations., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent an emerging class of π-conjugated molecules in the area of optoelectronic devices and materials. Unprecedented synthetic routes to various PAHs from simple phenol derivatives by a palladium-catalyzed annulative dimerization of phenylene triflate through twofold inter- and intramolecular C-H activation have been established. The initially formed partially fused PAHs can be smoothly transformed into a variety of fully fused PAHs by the Scholl reaction. Furthermore, the reactions of phenanthrene-substituted aryl triflates proceeded regioselectively. The findings inspired the development of a rapid and efficient synthesis of polybenzoacene derivatives. This study not only allows transformation of phenyl triflates, but also discloses a new retrosynthetic strategy towards PAHs, especially polybenzoacenes., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Nitrogen-containing polycyclic aromatic compounds (N-PACs) are an important class of compounds in materials science. Reported here is a new aza-annulative π-extension (aza-APEX) reaction that allows rapid access to a range of N-PACs in 11-84 % yields from readily available unfunctionalized aromatics and imidoyl chlorides. In the presence of silver hexafluorophosphate, arenes and imidoyl chlorides couple in a regioselective fashion. The follow-up oxidative treatment with p-chloranil affords structurally diverse N-PACs, which are very difficult to synthesize. DFT calculations reveal that the aza-APEX reaction proceeds through the formal [4+2] cycloaddition of an arene and an in situ generated diarylnitrilium salt, with sequential aromatizations having relatively low activation energies. Transformation of N-PACs into nitrogen-doped nanographenes and their photophysical properties are also described., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The anchoring group of a sensitizer may strongly affect the overall properties and stability of the resulting dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthetic solar cells (DSPECs). The properties of seven perylene monoimide (PMI) dyes have been comprehensively studied for their immobilization on nanocrystalline NiO film. The PMI dyes differ only by the nature of the anchoring group, which are: carboxylic acid (PMI-CO 2 H), phosphonic acid (PMI-PO 3 H 2 ), acetyl acetone (PMI-acac), pyridine (PMI-Py), aniline (PMI-NH 2 ), hydroxyquinoline (PMI-HQ), and dipicolinic acid (PMI-DPA). The dyes are investigated by cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemistry and modeled by TD-DFT quantum chemical calculations. The mode of binding of these anchoring groups is investigated by infrared spectroscopy and the stability of the binding to NiO surface is studied by desorption experiments in acidic and basic media. The phosphonic acid group is found to offer the strongest binding to the NiO surface in terms of stability and dye loading. Finally, a photophysical study by ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy shows that all dyes inject a hole in NiO with rate constants on a subpicosecond timescale and display similar charge recombination kinetics. The photovoltaic properties of the dyes show that PMI-HQ and PMI-acac give the highest photovoltaic performances, owing to a lower degree of aggregation on the surface., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A novel Co II -catalyzed polyene cyclization was developed that is uniquely effective when performed in hexafluoroisopropanol as the solvent. The process is presumably initiated by metal-catalyzed hydrogen-atom transfer (MHAT) to 1,1-disubstituted or monosubstituted alkenes, and the reaction is remarkable for its tolerance of internal alkenes bearing either electron-rich methyl or electron-deficient nitrile substituents. Electron-rich aromatic terminators are required in both cases. Terpenoid scaffolds with different substitution patterns are obtained with excellent diastereoselectivities, and the bioactive C20-oxidized abietane diterpenoid carnosaldehyde was made to showcase the utility of the nitrile-bearing products. Also provided are the results of several mechanistic experiments that suggest the process features an MHAT-induced radical bicyclization with late-stage oxidation to regenerate the aromatic terminator., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The Scholl-type cyclodehydrogenation, generating up to four cycloheptatriene rings around a fenestrindane core, leads to novel, saddle-shaped polyaromatic hydrocarbon derivatives. In this article, we present the results of in-depth experimental and computational work on the oxidative cyclization of various 1,4,9,12-tetraarylfenestrindanes. In particular, the kinetic control of the four-step cyclization of the electronically activated tetrakis(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl) derivative is elucidated. The reasons for the exclusive emergence of one single among the three possible doubly cyclized intermediates and for the nonappearance of the singly and triply cyclized intermediates are clarified. In addition, the origin of the concomitant bridgehead hydroxylation is studied. The reactivity of a set of fifteen symmetrically and unsymmetrically substituted 1,4,9,12-tetraarylfenestrindanes towards Scholl-type cyclodehydrogenation is presented, pinpointing the structural factors that underlie this reaction and demonstrating the potential and limitations of this synthetic approach. A particularly surprising finding of this study is that the electronically nonactivated 1,4,9,12-tetraphenylfenestrindane can also undergo the fourfold Scholl-type cyclization process and can be transformed into the parent saddle hydrocarbon., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

An efficient protocol was developed for the synthesis of π-extended isocoumarins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons based on the oxidative coupling of aromatic carboxylic acids with internal alkynes catalyzed by (cyclopentadienyl)rhodium complexes. The coupling chemoselectivity strongly depends on whether Cp or the methylated Cp* ligands are used. The pentamethyl derivative [Cp*RhCl 2 ] 2 predominantly gives isocoumarins, while the non-methylated complex [CpRhI 2 ] n produces naphthalene derivatives. The polyaromatic carboxylic acids (such as 1-naphthoic acid, 1-pyrenecarboxylic acid, fluorene-1-carboxylic acid, and dibenzofuran-4-carboxylic acid) are suitable for this approach. A mixture of Cp*H/RhCl 3 can be used as a catalyst instead of [Cp*RhCl 2 ] 2 . The structures of 3,4-diphenylindeno[1,2-h]isochromen-1(11H)-one and 7,10-dimethyl-8,9-diphenylbenzo[pqr]tetraphene were determined by X-ray diffraction. In addition, the optical properties of the prepared compounds were studied. 7,8-Diphenyl-10H-phenaleno[1,9-gh]isochromen-10-one was employed as an emissive layer for OLED manufacturing. The OLED emits yellow-green light with a maximum intensity 1740 cd ⋅ m -2 at 15 V., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A triphosphaazatriangulene (H 3 L) was synthesized through an intramolecular triple phospha-Friedel-Crafts reaction. The H 3 L triangulene contains three phosphinate groups and an extended π-conjugated framework, which enables the stimuli-responsive reversible transformation of [Cu(HL)(DMSO)⋅(MeOH)] n , a 3D-MOF that exhibits reversible sorption characteristics, into (H 3 L⋅0.5 [Cu 2 (OH) 4 ⋅6 H 2 O] ⋅4 H 2 O), a 1D-columnar assembled proton-conducting material. The hydrophilic nature of the latter resulted in a proton conductivity of 5.5×10 -3  S cm -1 at 95 % relative humidity and 60 °C., (© 2020 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Diversity-oriented synthesis (DOS) has become a powerful synthetic tool that facilitates the construction of nature-inspired and privileged chemical space, particularly for sp 3 -rich non-flat scaffolds, which are needed for phenotypic screening campaigns. These diverse compound collections led to the discovery of novel chemotypes that can modulate the protein function in underrepresented biological space. In this context, starting material-driven DOS is one of the most important tools used to build diverse compound libraries with rich stereochemical and scaffold diversity. To this end, ene/yne tethered salicylaldehyde derivatives have emerged as a pluripotent chemical platform, the products of which led to the construction of a privileged chemical space with significant biological activities. In this review, various domino transformations employing o-alkene/alkyne tethered aryl aldehyde/ketone platforms are described and discussed, with emphasis on the period from 2011 to date., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

6-Methylenebicyclo[3.2.1]oct-1-en-3-one, a twisted and highly reactive enone, was prepared for the first time by elimination of its bromide precursor. Its reactions as a dienophile with several dienes in Diels-Alder reactions proceeded smoothly to provide tricyclic and tetracyclic adducts, which allowed short syntheses (10-11 steps) of four kurane diterpenoids including 11β-hydroxy-16-kaurene, 11α-hydroxy-16-kaurene, liangshanin G, and gesneroidin B., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Substitutional doping of perylene with two boron atoms at the 6b/12b positions and two oxygen or nitrogen atoms at the 1/7 positions has been achieved. The modular synthesis route developed for these bis-BO- (3) and bis-BN-perylenes (5) starts from the readily accessible borinic acid derivative of the doubly brominated 9,10-dihydro-9,10-diboraanthracene (DBA), 1,5-Br 2 DBA(OH) 2 . A Stille-type reaction first furnishes the alkynyl-substituted species 1,5-(RCC) 2 DBA(OH) 2 (2), which undergo double ring closure to afford 3 via the gold-catalyzed addition of the O-H bonds to the C≡C bonds. Treatment of 2 with MeN(SiMe 3 ) 2 leads to aminoborane intermediates 1,5-(RCC) 2 DBA(N(H)Me) 2 , which can be ring-closed to give 5 in a similar manner as in the case of 3. Different substituents R (such as Me, tBuPh) can be introduced at the 2/8 positions of the perylene core. The products obtained undergo reversible reduction and are efficient blue/turquoise emitters., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)