Key-words: multi-step synthesis, reaction cascade, pericyclic reactions, nanographenes, photophysical studies, materials for energy

Our world experiences a period of energy transition aiming to reach low or zero carbon technology. For this purpose, the field of low-cost and lightweight organic materials with semiconductor properties, that are used as key materials in energy converting and saving devices such as solar cell (OPVs) and new lightning and display technologies (OLEDs), is essential for a sustainable development and for reaching future goals of an energy production without combustion and CO2 emission. Graphene-type polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heteroacenes are key materials for organic electronics and materials with semiconductor properties. However, the synthesis of well-defined (hetero)graphenic materials on the molecular level is far from being trivial.

The project aims to address this challenge by developing novel cascade reactions: these reactions consist of multiple C-C bond formation processes in a single synthesis step, and include consecutive sequences of isomerization and electrocyclic annulation reactions. Those cascade reactions are designed to enable the direct transformation of structurally simple precursor molecules into defined nano-sized (hetero)graphenic materials. The project implies not only the complete structural characterization of the synthesized (hetero)acenes but also the systematic evaluation of their photophysical and electrochemical properties.