Recent synthetic development of polyacenes and evaluation of their electric properties

Abstract

Polyacenes, composed of multiple linearly fused benzene rings, are an important class of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The unique electronic property stems from its zigzag-edged polyacene structure. The synthetic development of polyacene and evaluation of their electronic properties significantly contribute not only to proper molecular design of organic semiconducting materials but also to our understanding of the edge states of zigzag-type graphene nanoribbons. The first part is general introduction of polyacenes, showing pentacene as a benchmark compound for organic semiconducting materials. The second part outlines how to synthesize polyacene using “precursor method”. The third part focuses on the on-surface synthesis of polyacenes. Specifically, the bandgap and biradical character of polyacene are provided and discussed. The fourth part outlines the polyacene synthesis under anaerobic conditions such as an interior of a single crystal and a metal-organic framework. The final section presents a conclusion and perspective.