Beyond Pentacenes: Synthesis and Properties of Higher Acenes

Acenes consist of linearly annulated benzene rings. Their reactivity increases quickly with increasing chain length. Therefore acenes longer than pentacene are very sensitive towards oxygen in the presence of light and thus these molecules have not been well studied or have remained elusive in spite of synthetic efforts dating back to the 1930s. This review gives an historical account of the development of the chemistry of acenes larger than pentacene and summarizes the recent progress in the field including strategies for stabilization of higher acenes up to nonacene.