Thiophene-fused analogues of warped nanographene (WNG) and quintuple helicene (QH) were synthesized via a three-step pi-extension of corannulene. Similar to the synthetic route to WNG, five hexagons and five heptagons were generated by a Scholl reaction of pentakis(thienylphenyl)corannulene to form pentathiaWNG. In contrast, decathiaWNG could not be obtained from pentakis(thienylthienyl) corannulene, and instead decathiaQH was generated from the photocyclization of the precursor. X-ray crystallography of the products revealed their conformations and packing modes in the solid state. The configurational features of decathiaQH were further examined by DFT calculations. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of the sulfur-containing WNG and QH were shifted relative to those of the corresponding sulfur-free analogues.

The synthesis and structure of a C-3-symmetric propeller-shaped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon that bears three seven-membered rings is reported. The synthesis was accomplished in three steps from benzo[c]naphtho-[2,1-p]chrysene, including a Pd-catalyzed intramolecular C-H arylation for the formation of the seven-membered rings. The combination of the helicities (P/M) of the three seven-membered-ring moieties and three [4]helicene moieties affords 24 possible conformers, and two relatively stable conformations were observed by H-1 NMR spectroscopy.

The synthesis and structural analysis of a quintuple [6]helicene with a corannulene core is reported. The compound was synthesized from corannulene in three steps including a five-fold intramolecular direct arylation. X-ray crystallographic analysis revealed a C-5-symmetric propeller-shaped structure and one-dimensional alignment in the solid state. The enantiomers of the quintuple [6]helicene were successfully separated by HPLC, and the chirality of the two fractions was identified by CD spectroscopy. A kinetic study yielded a racemization barrier of 34.2kcalmol(-1), which is slightly lower than that of pristine [6]helicene. DFT calculations indicate a rapid bowl-to-bowl inversion of the corannulene moiety and a step-by-step chiral inversion pathway for the five [6]helicene moieties.

The one-step pi-extension of corannulene was achieved using a palladium-catalyzed C-H coupling reaction. The X-ray crystal structure and photophysical properties of the thus formed phenanthro[9,10-a]corannulene (1) were investigated, and the structural properties of 1 were examined by density functional theory calculations. In contrast to dibenzo[g,p]chrysene, the most stable structure of 1 was a butterfly-shaped structure, resulting from the bowl-shaped distortion of the corannulene moiety.

Introduction of heptagons into hexagonal carbon lattices can generate negatively curved polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are of significant interest in the field of exotic molecular nanocarbons. We have successfully synthesized and characterized corannulene-based -systems containing heptagons (4 and 5) as new negatively curved polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as well as possible intermediates in the synthesis of warped nanographene 1. The formation of 4 and 5 represents the first example for which a heptagon is formed under Scholl reaction conditions before all hexagons are formed. Even more interestingly, we discovered that the mode and degree of solid-phase intermolecular - interaction can be altered significantly by the degree of ring closure.