Research Projects

π–Extended carbon sheets are ubiquitous material in nature. The synthesis of controlled large polycyclic aromatic systems and/or its derivatives is an important challenge in chemistry. They serve as an active component for electronic and optoelectronic devices, such as light-emitting diodes, field-effect transistors, and solar cells. The properties of π–extended carbon sheets depend on its size, shape, and peripheral functionalization of the polycyclic system. These significant characteristics of π–extended carbon sheets have renewed the interest of organic chemist in the synthesis of large poly aromatic compounds (PACs) such as fullerenes, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene and other carbon nanostructure. The generally adopted strategies for the synthesis include thermolysis, oxidative photocyclizations, Diels-Alder reactions and various metal‐catalyzed cross‐coupling and cycloaddition reactions. Recently, highly reactive and rich chemistry of arynes have been extensively exploited for the construction of extended and/or complex polycyclic aromatic compounds. In this proposal we are planning to develop a π-extension reaction via "Atom-economic bottom-up annulations" of arynes for synthesis of π–extended carbon sheets/N- or S-doped carbon sheets. The photophysical properties of the synthesized PAHs would be envisaged and would be utilized to realize efficient fluorescent probes for photonic applications.