Facile bottom-up synthesis of coronene-based 3-fold symmetrical and highly substituted nanographenes from simple aromatics.

A facile and efficient self-sorting assemble (CSA) strategy has been paved for bottom-up construction of the 3-fold symmetrical and highly substituted hexa-cata-hexabenzocoronenes (c-HBCs), the trithieno analogues, and larger disc-shaped PAHs from simple chemicals using benzylic carbons as tenon joints and a novel FeCl3-mediated AAA process as a key step. The structures of the as-prepared c-HBCs and related NGs were clearly identified by spectral analyses and X-ray crystallographic studies. Moreover, these can be envisaged to serve as new launching platforms for the construction of larger and more complex π-conjugated molecules and supramolecular architectures because of the modifiable and symmetrical decorations.