On the Shape and Synthesis of Extended Fluorenones: Recent Advances and Upcoming Challenges

Abstract

Abstract Extended fluorenones represent a particular class of polycyclic compounds. The extension of the aromatic system through the fusion of additional benzene rings onto the central tricyclic fluorenone gives rise to an impressive topological diversity and allows to modulate the properties of the original molecule. The multiple ways this aromatic extension can be joined onto the tricyclic core generates multiple spatial arrangements from linear, angular, mixed linear‐angular, to helical. This extensive range of shapes and their subsequent applications has piqued the curiosity of the scientific community, who now creatively compete to develop selective and direct routes to these valuable molecular architectures. Potential applications of these diverse domains have also driven the development of strategies for the installation of various substituents at selected sites of the carbon backbone. This Review intends to provide the reader with an up‐to‐date overview of the methods for constructing extended fluorenones and their properties.