Polygons: [8]Circulenes were easily prepared by Pd-catalyzed annulations of tetraiodotetraphenylenes with alkynes. Their saddle-shaped structure with an [8]radialene character was identified by X-ray crystallography. Similar to 1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene, they have a tub-shaped eight-membered ring, but all of the bond lengths and bond angles are almost equal. Variable-temperature NMR investigations showed interesting dynamic behavior.

The syntheses, structures, and physical properties of a full series of benzannulated tetraphenylenes are reported. The palladium-catalyzed annulation of tetraiodo-substituted 2,3,6,7,10,11,14,15-octamethyltetraphenylene with insufficient di(4-anisyl)ethyne yielded a mixture of per-substituted [8]circulene and its non-planar fragments, including mono-, para-di-, ortho-di-, and triannulated products. Their structures were unambiguously verified by X-ray crystallography. Successive benzannulations significantly affect the molecular geometries, dynamic behaviors, and physical properties of the compounds. In this series of compounds, [8]circulene is the most strained one, as reflected by the significant deplanarization of the phenanthrene moieties (ca. 63° in the bay region) and the fact that it has the highest strain energy (120.6 kcal mol(-1) ). The dynamic behaviors of these compounds were examined both experimentally and theoretically. The ring flipping of per-substituted [8]circulene is confirmed to proceed through pseudorotation with a barrier of around 21 kcal mol(-1) , whereas its non-planar fragments require much more energy for the ring inversion. The photophysical and electrochemical properties of the investigated compounds depend strongly on the extent of efficient π conjugation. The successive benzannulations red-shift both the absorption and the emission bands, and reduce the first oxidation potential.

A general approach involving a solvothermal method was developed to synthesize a series of silicate nanoshells (<100 nm) where both Gd silicate and Gd silicate:Eu nanoshells were further demonstrated to exhibit dual-modality MRI and optical imaging functions.

A series of 9,10-diarylphenanthrenes was prepared, and their structures and dynamic behaviors were both theoretically and experimentally investigated. A more twisted and crowded phenanthrene backbone was associated with a lower barrier to the rotation of an aryl group.

This account summarizes our recent efforts to synthesize numerous important and interesting polycyclic arenes under mild conditions using metal-catalyzed protocols. The palladium-catalyzed annulations of 2-iodobiphenyls or 2,2'-diiodobiphenyls with alkynes efficiently generated phenanthrene derivatives. This synthetic method was utilized as the key step when preparing phenanthrene-based alkaloids, tetrabenzopyracylenes and persubstituted [8]circulenes. Depending on whether a palladium or nickel catalytic system was used, 1-ethynyl-8-iodonaphthalenes underwent either a cyclodimerization or a nitrile-incorporated cascade reaction to produce zethrenes or pyrroloarenes, respectively. Methylene-bridged polyarenes are generated easily from 2-halo-2'-methylbiaryls through benzylic C-H bond activation and subsequent carbon-carbon bond formation, and palladium complexes promote the arylation of methylene carbons. The palladium-catalyzed annulations of 1,8-bis(arylethynyl)naphthalene derivatives with o-diiodoarenes yielded benzo[k]fluoranthene-based linear acenes, which can be applied to synthesize highly curved fragments of fullerenes. The self-reactions of diarylethynes formed either dihydrocyclopenta[a]indenes or octaaryl-1,3,5,7-octatetraenes through palladium-catalyzed cycloisomerization or nickel-catalyzed tetramerization, respectively. In the presence of palladium catalysts, the hydroalkynylation of terminal arylalkynes directly generated angular trimerization adduct dienynes.