Palladium-catalyzed C-H activation taken to the limit. Flattening an aromatic bowl by total arylation.

All 10 C–H positions on the rim of corannulene can be arylated by repetitive palladium-catalyzed C–H activation. To relieve congestion among the 10 tightly packed aryl substituents in the product, the central corannulene adopts a nearly planar geometry.