Pyreno[4,5-<i>b</i>]furan and Pyreno[4,5-<i>b</i>:9,10-<i>b</i>′]difuran Derivatives as New Blue Fluorophores: Synthesis, Structure, and Electronic Properties

Abstract

New pyreno[4,5-b]furan and pyreno[4,5-b:9,10-b′]difuran derivatives displaying intense blue fluorescence in CH2Cl2 were efficiently synthesized through the reactions of pyrene-4,5-dione and 2,7-di-tert-butylpyrene-4,5,9,10-tetraone with benzylphosphoranes as a key step. X-ray crystallographic analysis reveals that both pyrenofurans have a planar structure, and their electrochemical properties obviously indicate high HOMO energy levels as predicted by density functional theory (DFT) calculations.