Coronenes, Benzocoronenes and Beyond: Modern Aspects of Their Syntheses, Properties, and Applications

In recent years, a variety of new designs of coronene-based polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with diverse functions have emerged to serve as complementary materials in organic chemistry and materials chemistry. In the present review, we highlight the modern aspects of syntheses related to or different from the strategies used in the early era of coronene research. Systematic extension and expansion of coronene backbones to wide categories of angular PAHs are covered. The substitution and extension of coronene architectures, by incorporating functional groups and by fusing small and large conjugated units, advatangeously enrich their photophysical, electrochemical, self-assembling, and other properties, of which are discussed to demostrate their impact in materials chemistry. While the highly symmetric coronenes, tribenzocoronenes and hexabenzocoronenes conceived wide potential in charge-transporting, electroluminescent, sensing, and other applications, other related derivatives such as dibenzo, tetrabenzo and pentabenzocoronenes also displayed their potentials as exemplified by their use as charge-conduction channel in transistor application.