Subphthalocyanine-radiaannulene scaffold – a multi-electron acceptor and strong chromophore

Two subphthalocyanine (SubPc) units and a perethynylated, alkyne-expanded radiaannulene (RA) were fused together by a four-fold Sonogashira reaction to give a compound exhibiting: (i) four reversible one-electron reductions, the first signalling good acceptor strength of the RA core itself, while the following three are a consequence of the entire scaffold, and (ii) intense light absorption that spans a remarkably broad region.