Reactions of phenalenone (2), benzanthrone (3), and naphthanthrone (4) with a low-valent titanium reagent (TiCl4/LiAlH4/THF) gave peropyrene
(1), tetrabenzo[a,cd,j,lm]perylene (6), and dibenzo[jk,uv]dinaphtho[2,1,8,7-defg;2‘,1‘,8‘,7‘-opqr]pentacene (10), respectively. The syntheses of
the LPAHs 6 and 10 were regioselective. An unsymmetrical pathway of reductive peri−peri “dimerization” of the phenalenones leading to
peropyrene-type LPAHs was proposed. Ab initio DFT B3LYP/6-311G** calculations indicated that D
2
h
-1, the most stable conformation, resembles
the Clar picture of 1.