First approach to nitrogen-containing fused aromatic hydrocarbons as targets for organoelectronics utilizing a new transformation of O-protected diaryl methanols.

A new concise approach for the construction of heteroatom analogues of polycyclic aromatic benzo[g]quinoline, benzo[b]carbazole, and pyrido[b]carbazole systems via diaryl methanols is described. This transformation involves formation of a central benzene ring fused to two aromatic 5- or 6-membered rings of pyrrole and/or pyridine by using a combination of two aromatic aldehydes, of which at least one contains a ring nitrogen. Analysis of the UV and fluorescent properties, Stokes shifts, quantum yields in solution, and pi-stacking interactions in the crystal structures of the new materials was performed. These polycyclic aromatic compounds show potential as small-molecule organoelectronic materials.