Synthesis and Characterization of 6,13‐Diamino‐Substituted Pentacenes

A series of 6,13‐diamino‐substituted pentacenes 1 a – d has been prepared and characterized as a new class of pentacene derivatives with strong donor ability and enhanced solubility in common organic solvents. The spectroelectrochemical and DFT studies revealed that the two‐electron oxidation process was accompanied by the substantial structural change into a butterfly‐like conformation of the pentacene moiety. More importantly, the extent of deformation from the planar pentacene moiety in the dications of 6,13‐diaminopentacene is tunable by varying the N‐substituents.     

Synthesis of a Soluble Pentacene Derivative: 6,13-bis(m-trifluoromethyl phenyl ethenyl) Pentacene †

We report the synthesis and characterization of a new pentacene derivative, 6,13- bis(m-trifluoromethyl phenylethynyl)pentacene. This pentacene derivative is soluble in common organic solvents and found to have the HOMO energy level at ?5.45 eV in solution.     

Synthesis of 1,2,3,4,8,9,10,11‐Octasubstituted Pentacenequinone Derivatives and their Conversion into Substituted Pentacenes

A series of 1,2,3,4,8,9,10,11‐octasubstituted pentacenequinone derivatives were prepared by the oxidation of 1,2,3,4,8,9,10,11‐octasubstituted pentacenes, which were synthesized by the double homologation method. Oxidation of the pentacenes was carried out with H₅IO₆ or air and DDQ. These octasubstituted pentacenequinones were converted into 1,2,3,4,6,8,9,10,11,13‐decasubstituted or 2,3,6,9,10,13‐hexasubstituted pentacene derivatives by the introduction of aryl or alkynyl groups at the carbonyl carbons. The photophysical properties of these new pentacenes have been measured in solution, and the substituent effects are discussed.     

Hetero Diels–Alder Reactions with a Dicationic Urea Azine Derived Azo Dienophile and Their Use for the Synthesis of an Electron-Rich Pentacene

Herein, the first hetero Diels–Alder (DA) reactions with a stable, dicationic urea azine derived azo dienophile, synthesized by two-electron oxidation of a neutral urea azine are reported. Several charged DA products were synthesized in good yield and fully characterized. The DA adduct of anthracene is in thermal equilibrium with the reactants at room temperature, and the reaction enthalpy and entropy were determined from the temperature-dependent equilibrium constant. Furthermore, base addition to solutions of the pentacene DA product led to deprotonation, cleavage of the N−N bond, and formation of an electron-rich 6,13-bisguanidinyl-substituted pentacene. The redox and optical properties of this new pentacene derivative were studied. Furthermore, the dication resulting from its two-electron oxidation was synthesized and fully characterized. The results disclose a new elegant route to electron-rich pentacene derivatives.     

High‐Yield Excited Triplet States in Pentacene Self‐Assembled Monolayers on Gold Nanoparticles through Singlet Exciton Fission

One of the major drawbacks of organic‐dye‐modified self‐assembled monolayers on metal nanoparticles when employed for efficient use of light energy is the fact that singlet excited states on dye molecules can be easily deactivated by means of energy transfer to the metal surface. In this study, a series of 6,13‐bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene–alkanethiolate monolayer protected gold nanoparticles with different particle sizes and alkane chain lengths were successfully synthesized and were employed for the efficient generation of excited triplet states of the pentacene derivatives by singlet fission. Time‐resolved transient absorption measurements revealed the formation of excited triplet states in high yield (172±26 %) by suppressing energy transfer to the gold surface.     

The Shapiro reaction of barrelene derivatives: the influence of annelation on acene formation

The possible formation of pentacene from a tosylhydrazone of 6,13-dihydro-6,13-ethenopentacene under the conditions of the Shapiro reaction is explored, as previous work demonstrated that the tosylhydrazone of barrelene (bicyclo[2.2.2]octatriene) yields benzene under these conditions [C. Weitemeyer, T. Preuss, and A. de Meijere, Chem. Ber., 1985, 118, 3993]. The computational analyses based on homodesmotic equations involving the anions, and monomeric (including the dimethyl ether solvate) and dimeric organolithium compounds reveals that benzene formation is exothermic, but pentacene formation is endothermic due to the increased stability of the lithium derivative and the decreased stability of pentacene. The computational predictions are confirmed by experimental investigations.     

Preparation of 6,13-bis(trimethylsilyl)pentacene and formation of second-ring Diels-Alder adduct of pentacene

6,13-Bis(trimethylsilyl)pentacene was synthesized by a coupling reaction of bicyclic dilithiobutadiene with diiodonaphthalene followed by aromatization. Diels-Alder reaction of 6,13-bis(trimethylsilyl)pentacene with dienophiles afforded the corresponding second-ring adducts. Elimination of two silyl groups gave the second-ring Diels-Alder adducts of parent pentacene.     

An improved synthesis of pentacene: rapid access to a benchmark organic semiconductor

Pentacene is an organic semiconductor used in a variety of thin-film organic electronic devices. Although at least six separate syntheses of pentacene are known (two from dihydropentacenes, two from 6,13-pentacenedione and two from 6,13-dihydro-6,13-dihydroxypentacene), none is ideal and several utilize elevated temperatures that may facilitate the oxidation of pentacene as it is produced. Here, we present a fast (-2 min of reaction time), simple, high-yielding (≥ 90%), low temperature synthesis of pentacene from readily available 6,13-dihydro-6,13-dihydroxypentacene. Further, we discuss the mechanism of this highly efficient reaction. With this improved synthesis, researchers gain rapid, affordable access to high purity pentacene in excellent yield and without the need for a time consuming sublimation.     

Dehydro side coupling of substituted pentacene derivatives

1,2,3,4,8,9,10,11-Octaalkylpentacenes were synthesized in high yields from tetrahydropentacenes by the pentacene-DDQ adduct method in the presence of amine. Dehydro side-coupling reactions of pentacene derivatives proceeded to give the corresponding 6,6'-dipentacenyl derivatives in high yields in the presence of a catalytic amount of CSA and 0.5 equiv of DDQ. The structures of dehydro side-coupling products of substituted pentacenes were determined by NMR and X-ray analysis. The combination of acid and DDQ was necessary for the dehydro side coupling of substituted pentacenes.     

n‐Doping of Organic Electronic Materials Using Air‐Stable Organometallics: A Mechanistic Study of Reduction by Dimeric Sandwich Compounds

Several 19‐electron sandwich compounds are known to exist as “2×18‐electron” dimers. Recently it has been shown that, despite their air stability in the solid state, some of these dimers act as powerful reductants when co‐deposited from either the gas phase or from solution and that this behavior can be useful in n‐doping materials for organic electronics, including compounds with moderate electron affinities, such as 6,13‐bis[tri(isopropyl)silylethynyl]pentacene ( 3 ). This paper addresses the mechanisms by which the dimers of 1,2,3,4,5‐pentamethylrhodocene ( 1 b₂ ), (pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)(1,3,5‐trialkylbenzene)ruthenium (alkyl=Me, 2 a₂ ; alkyl=Et, 2 b₂ ), and (pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)(benzene)iron ( 2 c₂ ) react with 3 in solution. Vis/NIR and NMR spectroscopy, and X‐ray crystallography indicate that the products of these solution reactions are 3 ^.? salts of the monomeric sandwich cations. Vis/NIR kinetic studies for the Group 8 dimers are consistent with a mechanism whereby an endergonic electron transfer from the dimer to 3 is followed by rapid cleavage of the dimer cation. NMR crossover experiments with partially deuterated derivatives suggest that the C? C bond in the 1 b₂ dimer is much more readily broken than that in 2 a₂ ; consistent with this observation, Vis/NIR kinetic measurements suggest that the solution reduction of 3 by 1 b₂ can occur by both the mechanism established for the Group 8 species and by a mechanism in which an endergonic dissociation of the dimer is followed by rapid electron transfer from monomeric 1 b to 3 .     

Synthesis and cofacial pi-stacked packing arrangement of 6,13-bis(alkylthio)pentacene

[reaction: see text] 6,13-Bis(alkylthio)pentacenes directed toward organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) were synthesized by the ZnI(2)-mediated reaction of trans-6,13-dihydroxy-6,13-dihydropentacene with alkylthiols, followed by the dehydrogenative aromatization of the resulting trans-6,13-bis(alkylthio)-6,13-dihydropentacenes with p-chloranil. The X-ray crystallographic analysis of 6,13-bis(methylthio)pentacene reveals that this compound is arranged as a result of cofacial pi-stacking with S-S and S-pi interactions.     

Photochemical synthesis of pentacene and its derivatives

A novel alpha-diketone precursor of pentacene, 6,13-dihydro-6,13-ethanopentacene-15,16-dione, was prepared and converted successfully to pentacene in 74 % yield by photolysis of the precursor in toluene: Irradiation of the diketone solution in toluene with light of 460 nm under an Ar atmosphere caused the solution to change from yellow to fluorescent orange-pink within a few minutes, after which, purple precipitates appeared. After 35 min, the solution changed to colorless and the purple precipitates were filtered to give pentacene in 74 % yield. By contrast, in the presence of oxygen, the color of the solution changed from yellow to pale yellow, and only 6,13-endoperoxide of pentacene was quantitatively obtained. The rate of the reaction upon photolysis was measured by observing the decay of n-pi* absorption of the precursor at 460 nm, and was found to be similar in both the presence and absence of oxygen. Therefore, the photoreaction of the alpha-diketone precursor seemed to occur via the singlet excited state. Because the T-T absorption of pentacene was observed upon photolysis of the precursor in the nanosecond transient absorption measurement under an Ar atmosphere, the excited triplet state of the pentacene generated singlet oxygen by sensitization, and it reacted with the ground-state pentacene to give the 6,13-endoperoxide. The alpha-diketone deposited on glass was also converted successfully to pentacene film by photoirradiation. In addition, diketone precursors of a mixture of 2,8- and 2,9-dibromopentacene and 2,6-trianthrylene were also prepared and their photoconversion was performed.     

Pentacene precursors for solution-processed OFETs

15-Acetoxy- and 15-hydroxy-6,13-dihydro-6,13-ethanopentacenes sublimed over 300 °C and no pentacene was formed below the temperature. The precursors bearing chlorinated epithiomethano bridges suffered complicated decomposition to give oligomeric pentacene derivatives. The precursor bearing an epithio-oxomethano bridge underwent smooth and clean conversion to pentacene by heat or light. An organic field-effect transistor fabricated by the spin-coating method of the precursor followed by light irradiation at 120 °C showed a good FET performance of μ=2.5×10⁻² cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ and on/off ratio=3.8×10⁴.     

6,13-dibromopentacene [2,3:9,10]-bis(dicarboximide): a versatile building block for stable pentacene derivatives

6,13-Dibromopentacene [2,3:9,10]-bis(dicarboximide) (1) was synthesized for the first time by using in situ generated benzo[1,2-c:4,5-c']difuran as a key intermediate. Compound 1 exhibits good photostability in comparison to other pentacene derivatives and it can be further functionalized by Pd-catalyzed coupling reactions to give a series of soluble and stable functional pentacenes.     

Solvent‐Free One‐Step Photochemical Hydroxylation of Benzene Derivatives by the Singlet Excited State of 2,3‐Dichloro‐5,6‐dicyano‐p‐benzoquinone Acting as a Super Oxidant

Photoinduced hydroxylation of neat deaerated benzene to phenol occurred under visible‐light irradiation of 2,3‐dichloro‐5,6‐dicyano‐p‐benzoquinone (DDQ), which acts as a super photooxidant in the presence of water. Photocatalytic solvent‐free hydroxylation of benzene derivatives with electron‐withdrawing substituents such as benzonitrile, nitrobenzene, and trifluoromethylbenzene used as neat solvents has been achieved for the first time by using DDQ as a super photooxidant to yield the corresponding phenol derivatives and 2,3‐dichloro‐5,6‐dicyanohydroquinone (DDQH₂) in the presence of water under deaerated conditions. In the presence of dioxygen and tert‐butyl nitrite, the photocatalytic hydroxylation of neat benzene occurred with DDQ as a photocatalyst to produce phenol. The photocatalytic reactions are initiated by oxidation of benzene derivatives with the singlet and triplet excited states of DDQ to form the corresponding radical cations, which associate with benzene derivatives to produce the dimer radical cations, which were detected by the femto‐ and nanosecond laser flash photolysis measurements to clarify the photocatalytic reaction mechanisms. Radical cations of benzene derivatives react with water to yield the OH‐adduct radicals. On the other hand, DDQ ^{. ?} produced by the photoinduced electron transfer from benzene derivatives reacts with the OH‐adduct radicals to yield the corresponding phenol derivatives and DDQH₂. DDQ is recovered by the reaction of DDQH₂ with tert‐butyl nitrite when DDQ acts as a photocatalyst for the hydroxylation of benzene derivatives by dioxygen.     

Photooxidation and reproduction of pentacene derivatives substituted by aromatic groups

Pentacene derivatives substituted by aromatic groups at the 6,13-positions were prepared and investigated for their electronic properties and the photoaddition reaction with oxygen. The pentacene derivatives substituted by 2-thienyl and phenyl groups reacted with oxygen in solution under light and afforded their endoperoxides. These first-order kinetic constants were evaluated to be 1.5×10⁻³ s⁻¹ and 2.7×10⁻³ s⁻¹. The pentacene derivative with pentafluorophenyl groups was relatively stable in solution. The thermolysis and photolysis of the endoperoxide with 2-thienyl groups in solution afforded the pentacene derivative with yields of 30 and 44%, respectively. In addition, UV irradiation (254 nm) of the thin film of the endoperoxide was studied, which indicated the reproduction of the pentacene derivative.     

A novel synthetic route for the synthesis of 4,6‐diaryl‐2‐methyl‐1,3‐benzoxazoles

A new synthetic route was developed for the synthesis of 4,6‐diaryl‐2‐methyl‐l,3‐benzoxazoles and their hydrogenated derivatives. The target compounds were obtained via the Neber rearrangement from 3,5‐diaryl‐2‐cyclohexen‐l‐ones. The formation of the isomers in the dihydro derivatives was explained by the [1,5] sigmatropic shift of hydrogen under thermal condition. DDQ was employed for the dehydrogenation of the dihydro benzoxazoles.     

Isolation of 6,13-dipropylpentacene and its tautomerization

6,13-Dipropyl-5,14-dihydropentacene was aromatized by the combination of the formation of pentacene-DDQ adduct and abstraction of DDQ from the pentacene-DDQ adduct with 50 equiv of gamma-terpinene to give 6,13-dipropylpentacene cleanly. It was stable and isolable. In the presence of a catalytic amount of acid, 6,13-dipropylpentacene was isomerized to its tautomer.     

Pentacene disproportionation during sublimation for field-effect transistors

At moderate temperatures in flowing gas, pentacene undergoes a disproportionation reaction to produce 6,13-dihydropentacene (DHP) and a series of polycondensed aromatic hydrocarbons, including the previously unknown peripentacene (PP). The process requires activation by heating to 320 degrees C and is possibly catalyzed by impurities such as DHP, 6,13-pentacenequinone (PQ), Al, or Fe found in the starting materials. These impurities also result in a decrease in the intrinsic field-effect mobility (FEM) of pentacene crystals. Subsequent purifications remove such impurities, thus inhibiting the formation of the disproportionation products and increasing the FEM of pentacene (2.2 cm(2)/Vs). These results clarify the importance of purification of semiconductive materials for measurements of intrinsic mobility and optimal device performance.     

Modulating the Electronic and Solid-State Structure of Organic Semiconductors by Site-Specific Substitution: The Case of Tetrafluoropentacenes

The properties as well as solid-state structures, singlet fission, and organic field-effect transistor (OFET) performance of three tetrafluoropentacenes (1,4,8,11: 10 , 1,4,9,10: 11 , 2,3,9,10: 12 ) are compared herein. The novel compounds 10 and 11 were synthesized in high purity from the corresponding 6,13-etheno-bridged precursors by reaction with dimethyl 1,2,4,5-tetrazine-3,6-dicarboxylate at elevated temperatures. Although most of the molecular properties of the compounds are similar, their chemical reactivity and crystal structures differ considerably. Isomer 10 undergoes the orbital symmetry forbidden thermal [4+4] dimerization, whereas 11 and 12 are much less reactive. The isomers 11 and 12 crystallize in a herringbone motif, but 10 prefers π–π stacking. Although the energy of the first electric dipole-allowed optical transition varies only within 370 cm⁻¹ (0.05 eV) for the neutral compounds, this amounts to roughly 1600 cm⁻¹ (0.20 eV) for radical cations and 1300 cm⁻¹ (0.16 eV) for dications. Transient spectroscopy of films of 11 and 12 reveals singlet-fission time constants (91±11, 73±3 fs, respectively) that are shorter than for pentacene (112±9 fs). OFET devices constructed from 11 and 12 show close to ideal thin-film transistor (TFT) characteristics with electron mobilities of 2×10⁻³ and 6×10⁻² cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹, respectively.