Polyacenes, linear poly(benzenoid) hydrocarbons, are significant compounds for various electronic applications. Smaller
lower molecular weight members of the series (anthracene, tetracene, and pentacene) have been extensively investigated
for their use as semiconductors, as active layers in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and in organic light-emitting
diodes (OLEDs). Smaller HOMO-LUMO gaps might be achieved by synthesizing even higher poly(acene)s such as
hexacene and heptacene. Nevertheless, an increased instability and insolubility associated with the increasing number of
fused rings has become a synthetic challenge for chemists. We have recently developed a photochemical route that
allows one to easily synthesize heptacene in rigid media from an α-diketone photoprecursor, thus opening a pathway to
utilize these compounds in the construction of suitable devices. Photodecarbonylations of α-diketones are unusual
reactions. In most instances, dione excited states become electron transfer acceptors. The decarbonylation is driven by
the stability of the resulting aromatic hydrocarbon. We have studied the nature of the excited states involved in
photodecarbonylation of the α-diketones and the structure of the carbon monoxide fragment(s). Results obtained on the
mechanism of photodecarbonylation investigated using nanosecond flash photolysis and ultra-fast pump-probe
techniques are discussed.
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