Synthesis of polyaromatic molecules for applications in organic electronics
Synthesis of polyaromatic molecules for applications in organic electronics
The synthesis of a number of novel polyaromatic compounds are reported, starting with novel polyheterocyclic systems containing sulphur and oxygen, otherwise known as thienoacenes and furanoacenes. These were generally produced via a four-step synthetic strategy utilising palladium-catalysed cross-coupling reactions such as Sonogashira and Suzuki cross-couplings to build the precursors, which were then subjected to a base-catalysed cycloisomerisation to give the final angular systems of several fused aromatic rings. Eight thienoacenes and seven furanoacenes, all consisting of between five and eight fused rings, were synthesised, as well as a mixed system featuring a thiophene and furan ring at either end of the molecule. Use of a five-ring thienoacene as a building block allowed for extension of the aromatic framework, and a stable fifteen-ring thienoacene was synthesised in a total of nine steps.
The same synthetic method was applied in producing a series of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with phenyl and naphthyl substituents replacing thiophene and furan. Within this chapter, significant work was carried out in investigating the final cyclisation mechanism. Six highly crystalline PAHs are reported, consisting of five to eight fused benzene rings, and the addition of extra steps enabled longer polyaromatics of nine, eleven and twelve rings to be created.
The final challenge was the design and synthesis of a series of polyaromatic compounds for use as molecular wires. Similar approaches were used to build systems containing terminal pyridine and nitrile substituents which can act as anchoring groups to secure the molecule to a metal surface. Nine compounds containing five to eight fused aromatic rings with a suitable anchoring group were brought through, and the development of strategies for significantly lengthening these wires gave five systems of either nine or twelve rings.
Optical and electrochemical characterisation of the compounds was carried out at the University of Caen Lower Normandy, France, in collaboration with Prof. Bernhard Witulski. The results of these measurements generally gave good correlation with computationally calculated values.
University of Southampton
Al-Muhammad, Ayham
112fb73a-681d-45c9-b5e2-c261d176fe9b
7 December 2015
Al-Muhammad, Ayham
112fb73a-681d-45c9-b5e2-c261d176fe9b
Whitby, Richard
45632236-ab00-4ad0-a02d-6209043e818b
Al-Muhammad, Ayham
(2015)
Synthesis of polyaromatic molecules for applications in organic electronics.
University of Southampton, Chemistry, Doctoral Thesis, 266pp.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
The synthesis of a number of novel polyaromatic compounds are reported, starting with novel polyheterocyclic systems containing sulphur and oxygen, otherwise known as thienoacenes and furanoacenes. These were generally produced via a four-step synthetic strategy utilising palladium-catalysed cross-coupling reactions such as Sonogashira and Suzuki cross-couplings to build the precursors, which were then subjected to a base-catalysed cycloisomerisation to give the final angular systems of several fused aromatic rings. Eight thienoacenes and seven furanoacenes, all consisting of between five and eight fused rings, were synthesised, as well as a mixed system featuring a thiophene and furan ring at either end of the molecule. Use of a five-ring thienoacene as a building block allowed for extension of the aromatic framework, and a stable fifteen-ring thienoacene was synthesised in a total of nine steps.
The same synthetic method was applied in producing a series of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with phenyl and naphthyl substituents replacing thiophene and furan. Within this chapter, significant work was carried out in investigating the final cyclisation mechanism. Six highly crystalline PAHs are reported, consisting of five to eight fused benzene rings, and the addition of extra steps enabled longer polyaromatics of nine, eleven and twelve rings to be created.
The final challenge was the design and synthesis of a series of polyaromatic compounds for use as molecular wires. Similar approaches were used to build systems containing terminal pyridine and nitrile substituents which can act as anchoring groups to secure the molecule to a metal surface. Nine compounds containing five to eight fused aromatic rings with a suitable anchoring group were brought through, and the development of strategies for significantly lengthening these wires gave five systems of either nine or twelve rings.
Optical and electrochemical characterisation of the compounds was carried out at the University of Caen Lower Normandy, France, in collaboration with Prof. Bernhard Witulski. The results of these measurements generally gave good correlation with computationally calculated values.
Text
Ayham Al-Muhammad Thesis Final.pdf
- Version of Record
More information
Published date: 7 December 2015
Organisations:
University of Southampton, Chemistry
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 392946
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/392946
PURE UUID: 00b4afc8-4d7e-4c5d-b9d5-26ae7b803e1e
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 18 Apr 2016 14:01
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 05:30
Export record
Contributors
Author:
Ayham Al-Muhammad
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics