Synthesis of Hexaazatruxenes by Consecutive N-H/C-H Coupling Using a Hypervalent Iodine Reagent and Evaluation of Their Photophysical Properties

Truxene is a C-3-symmetric compound with characteristic photophysical properties, and it has great potential as a light-emitting material and building block. In this study, we demonstrate the synthesis of hexaazatruxenes using a two-step protocol. First, the hexaazatruxene precursors were prepared through the Buchwald-Hartwig amination of 1,3,5-tribromobenzene with commercially available or easily prepared amino-pyridine derivatives. Then, hexaazatruxenes were synthesized through consecutive N-H/C-H coupling using a hypervalent iodine reagent. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the synthesis of truxenes containing more than three heteroatoms in the main skeleton.