Electron-donating arene-substituted pentacenedione derivatives: a study of structural, electronic, and electrochemical properties.

A new series of redox-active tetraryl-substituted pentacenedione derivatives, namely Ar4-PDs, was prepared through Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reactions between a bis(dibromomethane)pentacenedione and various arene boronic acids. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations have confirmed that these Ar4-PDs possess highly twisted conformations due to the significant steric encumbrance between the Ar substituents and the anthraquinodimethane moiety. Cyclic voltammetric analysis revealed that the nature of the Ar group critically influences the redox properties of Ar4-PDs.