Circulene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecule composed by eight benzene rings. Because of geometric demands, the molecule adopts a saddle-shaped structure.This family of molecules, made of hexagonal and pentagonal rings are been studied for their promising applications in organic semiconductors, organic light-emitting diodes and liquid crystalline materials.
Prof. Shingo Ito et al. have just described the first example of a circulene bearing six hexagons and two pentagons which happens to have unique electronic structures, and intrinsic properties. In particular, they’ve proved this circulene to adopt a planar configuration.
This research, published in the Journal of American Chemical Society (JACS), was featured on the cover. The image was made under close supervision of Prof. Shigeky Kawai and Prof. Shingo Ito.
