Recent progress in using pyrene-4,5-diketones and pyrene-4,5,9,10-tetraketones as building blocks to construct large acenes and heteroacenes

Abstract

Acenes, usually defined as segments of “graphene”, consist of linearly annulated benzene rings, and have attracted considerable interest in both theoretical research and practical applications. However, these compounds generally have undesirable features such as poor solubility, easy oxidation and photodimerization. Thus, scientists have to invest much effort to address these problems and experimentally achieve the desired electronic properties to meet various demands. Herein, we summarize recent progress in the synthesis of pyrene‐functionalized acenes and heteroacenes through the use of pyrene diketone and pyrene tetraketone building blocks. Moreover, the physical properties and applications of these semiconductors in organic semiconductor devices are also described.