Derivatizing Tribenzothiophene-Fused Hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronenes with Tunable Optoelectronic Properties.

A series of trisbenzothieno[1,2:7,8:13,14]hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronenes were synthesized and characterized by a combination of NMR, 2D NMR, MALDI-TOF MS, UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy, and 2D-WAXS measurement. By structural modulation like decoration of electro-donating alkoxyl chain, and conversion from an electron-rich thiophene ring into an electron-poor thiophene-S,S-dioxide moiety, the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) levels of the hexabenzocoronenes derivatives can be effectively tuned which is further verified by the DFT calculations and cyclic voltammetry.