Recent Progress in the Synthesis and Applications of Azaacenes

Partial substitution of CH groups in the skeletons of linearly fused phenyl rings provides an appreciable possibility to tailor their properties. Among them, azaacenes induced from a partial substitution of oligoacenes by nitrogen are one of the most promising derivatives with a view of their potential application in organic electronic devices as a novel organic n-type semiconductor. Hence this review focuses on recent progress in the synthesis of azaacenes and their applications beyond organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), phototransistors, photoelectrical chemical cells, organic memory, solar cells, conductors and sensors.