Tetradehydrodinaphtho[10]annulene and its transformation into zethrene: A hitherto unknown dehydroannulene and a forgotten aromatic hydrocarbon

The synthesis and structural characterization of a hitherto unknown tetradehydro-dinaphtho[10]annulene, which had eluded isolation since attempts initiated during the late 1960s, was achieved. Moreover, the dehydroannulene was transformed into stable derivatives of zethrene, which was first reported in 1955, but forgotten for a long time. These molecules are substituted at the 7,14-positions and open the door to the zethrene family for potential application as optoelectronic materials.