A major focus of the Reczek Group is synthesis of complementary aromatic compounds that can self-assemble into stable donor-acceptor columnar liquid crystals. Once stacked in alternating fashion, an electron can be excited from the HOMO of a donor molecule directly to the LUMO of the corresponding acceptor molecule, allowing this material to absorb light in the visible spectrum. Anthracenes are polycyclic aromatic molecules that offer a large variety of derivatives for tuning this application. Presented here is work towards exploring anthracene derivatives as both donors and acceptors in these systems. Specifically, synthesis of electron-rich substituted anthracenes from anthraquinones by alkylation and subsequent reduction, progress towards 9, 10 alkylation of electron-deficient derivatives, and their characterization will be discussed.

Synthesis of anthracene derivatives for electron donor-acceptor interactions

245th National Meeting (2013)

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