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A novel catalyst‐free approach to benzoannulated oxygen‐containing heterocycles from fluorinated oligophenylenes is reported. Unlike existing methods, the presented reaction does not require an oxygen‐containing precursor and relies on an external oxygen source, potassium tert‐butoxide, which serves as an O2− synthon. The radical nature of the reaction facilitates nucleophilic substitution even in the presence of strong electron‐donating groups and enables de‐tert‐butylation required for the complete annulation. Also demonstrated is the applicability of the method to introduce five‐, six‐, and seven‐membered rings containing oxygen, whereas multiple annulations also open up a short synthetic path to ladder‐type O‐heteroacenes and oligodibenzofurans., O‐heteroacenes are now available by a one‐step LOOP reaction by SET‐induced SNAr‐radical de‐tert‐butylation‐SNAr. tBuOK serves as a reliable oxygen atom source and O2− synthon, enabling synthesis of dibenzofuran, benzoxanthenes, and benzooxepines, and a range of longer ladder‐type O‐heteroacenes from fluorinated oligophenylenes.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with zigzag peripheries are high perspective candidates for organic electronics. However, large fused acenes are still poorly studied due to the tedious synthesis. Herein we report a non-substituted fused bistetracene DBATT (2.3,8.9-dibenzanthanthrene) as the semiconductor on low-voltage-driven organic thin-film transistors. The systematic studies of thin-film growth on various self-assembled monolayer (SAM) modified gate dielectrics and the electrical performances were carried out. The sub-monolayer of the semiconductor film shows larger island domains on the alkyl chain SAM. This device exhibits the hole mobility of 0.011 cm2·V−1·s−1 with a current ratio of IonIIoff above 105.

Herein, we show that biradical character and appropriate distribution of spin density can be used for synthetic purposes. We demonstrate the rational domino annulation that includes dehydrative π-extension (DPEX) as the initiation step and subsequent oxidative electrocyclizations (EC) promoted by favorable localization of the unpaired electrons enabling up to four C-C bonds formed during the reaction. Contradicting to the Woodward-Hoffmann rules, the reaction proceeds at room temperature, whereas termination occurs when biradical character vanishes.

Zig-zag nanographenes are promising candidates for the applications in organic electronics due to the electronic properties induced by their periphery. However, the synthetic access to these compounds remains virtually unexplored. There is a lack in efficient and mild strategies origins in the reduced stability, increased reactivity, and low solubility of these compounds. Herein we report a facile access to pristine zig-zag nanographenes, utilizing an acid-promoted intramolecular reductive cyclization of arylaldehydes, and demonstrate a three-step route to nanographenes constituted of angularly fused tetracenes or pentacenes. The mild conditions are scalable to gram quantities and give insoluble nanostructures in close to quantitative yields. The strategy allows the synthesis of elusive low bandgap nanographenes, with values as low as 1.62 eV. Compared to their linear homologues, the structures have an increased stability in the solid-state, even though computational analyses show distinct diradical character. The structures were confirmed by X–ray diffraction or scanning tunneling microscopy., Nanographenes with zig-zag peripheries are expected to have unique electronic properties, but their application in organic electronics has been curbed by their difficult synthesis. Here, the authors develop a facile route to zig-zag nanographenes based on a key dehydrative π-extension reaction.

Friedel–Crafts alkylation of indole and its derivatives with a variety of electron-deficient alkenes catalyzed by Mg and Ca salts has been studied. The dependence of the results on the nature of the starting olefins, substituents on indole, and Michael acceptors, as well as on the composition of the Lewis acid is discussed. High yields of the addition products were achieved in the addition of indole to β,γ-unsaturated α-keto esters and coumarin derivatives, some nitroolefins, and arylidenemalonates. Reactions involving arylidenemalonates were found to be the most versatile and smooth, the best yields reached 92%. Among the Mg and Ca salts tested, magnesium iodide (MgI2) proved to be the most appropriate catalyst in the addition to various unsaturated carbonyl compounds, while calcium triflimide [Ca(NTf2)2] efficiently catalyzed the addition to nitroolefins.

Herein, we present a modular approach to pristine angularly fused planar acenes. The approach includes the Pd-catalyzed fusion of several building blocks and implements a dehydrative π-extension (DPEX) reaction as a key step enabling facile access to diverse two-dimensional acenes. The scope was demonstrated on nine examples with up to quantitative yield.

By exposure of α-fluorinated benzophenones to McMurry reaction conditions, we have observed the remarkable formation of 9,10-diphenylanthracene derivatives. This unexpected transformation necessitates the cleavage of the exceptionally stable aromatic C-F bond under mild McMurry conditions. In this work, the condensation of several related fluorinated benzo- and acetophenones has been investigated, which allow us to propose a domino-like fusion mechanism for this unusual transformation. The scope and limitations of the fluorine-promoted benzophenone fusion are subsequently discussed.

The Friedel–Crafts reaction between electron-rich (het)arenes and β-nitrostyrenes under MgI2 or Ca(NTf2)2 catalysis affords 1-(het)aryl-2-nitro-1-phenylethanes in yields up to 94%.

Magnesium iodide-catalyzed addition of electron-rich (het)arenes to ethyl glyoxylate proceeds at room temperature with high chemoselectivity to afford ethyl 2-(het)aryl- 2-hydroxyacetates in yields up to 95%.

Large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) containing pentagons represent an important class of compounds that are considered to be superior materials in future nano-electronic applications. From this perspective, the development of synthetic approaches to large PAHs and nanographenes (NGs) is a matter of great importance. In this context indenoannulation appears to be the most practical way to introduce pentagons into NGs. Here we report that alumina-mediated C-F bond activation is an attractive tool for the synthesis of non-alternant NGs bearing several pentagons. The unique nature of the reaction leads to a rather counter-intuitive outcome and allows considering each previous aryl-aryl coupling as a promoter of the following one, despite the continuous increase in the strain energy. Thus, the presented strategy combines both facile synthesis and significant yields for large nonalternant PAHs and NGs.