Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons containing heavy group 14 elements: From synthetic challenges to optoelectronic devices.

[Display omitted] • Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons are important building blocks for optoelectronics. • Inserting main group elements in the backbone is a powerful molecular engineering tool. • Compounds featuring 5, 6 or 7-membered cycles including Si, Ge and Sn, are presented. • To achieve such challenge, innovative synthetic approaches have been developed. • Opto-electronic devices were prepared (OLEDs, OFETs). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are important organic building blocks for optoelectronic applications. Among the various molecular engineering strategies (π-extension, edge structure modification, exocyclic functionalization), this review will focus on the insertion of heavy group 14 elements (Si, Ge and Sn) into the polyaromatic backbone. The main synthetic approaches toward these compounds will be discussed. Their optical and redox properties will be described with a particular attention of the specific effect of the heteroatom. Finally, there insertion into optoelectronic devices will be highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]