Benzo[e]pyrene skeleton dipyrylium dication with a strong donor-acceptor-donor interaction, and its two-electron reduced molecule.

The donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D) conjugated molecules 1,4-bis(diarylaminophenylethynyl)anthraquinone (1,4-Am(2)Aq) and 1,4-bis(ferrocenylethynyl)anthraquinone (1,4-Fc(2)Aq), undergo a double proton cyclization reaction with bis(trifluoromethanesulfone)imide acid (TFSIH) to yield 1,4-bis(diarylaminophenyl or ferrocenyl) dipyrylium salts [1,4-R(2)Pyl(2)](TFSI)(2) (R=Am or Fc) with novel planar pentacyclic structures similar to the aromatic benzo[e]pyrene-type skeleton. [1,4-Am(2)Pyl(2)](TFSI)(2) could be reduced to give the neutral molecule [1,4-Am(2)Pyl(2)](0), which is stable and maintains the benzo[e]pyrene-type skeleton. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first oxygen-atom-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon with 22 (4n+2) π-electrons. The obtained condensed-ring benzo[e]pyrene-type skeleton compounds show physical and chemical properties that are significantly different from those of [1,5-Am(2)Pyl(2)](TFSI)(2), which has a perylene-type skeleton.