Abstract
The combination of different distortion motifs in nanographenes and polycyclic conjugated
hydrocarbons has been the focus of significant attention during the last decade. The
continual discovery of multiple carbon allotropes has fueled the field. A plethora
of research groups around the globe are engaged in developing methods for the preparation
of discrete graphene or fullerene fragments and new carbon allotropes. The goal is
to fully understand the structure–property relationships in these systems. Herein,
we present our journey and contributions to the field, from the development of a synthetic
methodology towards functionalized heptagon-containing hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronenes through the preparation of saddle-helix hybrid nanographenes,
the study of heptagon-containing cumulenic and open-shell systems, nanographenes embedded
with higher order carbocycles, and the study of their electronic properties on-surface
and by single-molecule conductance.
1 Introduction
2 The Finding of a Cornerstone Scaffold
3 Saddle-Helix Hybrid Nanographenes
4 Cumulenic and Diradicaloid Systems
5 Supramolecular Studies
6 Octagon- and Nonagon-Embedded Nanographenes
7 Molecular Electronics and On-Surface Studies
8 Outlook
Key words
nanographenes - helicenes - curved polyaromatic hydrocarbons - chiroptical properties
- molecular electronics
