The improvement of π-conjugation by the lateral benzene of anthracene and naphthalene

The 1,4-diarylnaphthalenes, 1,4-diarylanthracenes, and 9,10-diarylanthracenes containing the different side arenes, including phenyl, 2-thienyl, and 2-furyl groups, were synthesized to study the influence of structures on π-conjugation. According to photophysics and computation, the smaller dihedral angles and the lateral benzene of anthracene would increase the π-conjugation in some cases. Compared to 1,4-diarylnaphthalenes, 1,4-di(thien-2-yl)anthracene, 1,4-di(fur-2-yl)anthracene, and 9,10-di(fur-2-yl)anthracene displayed better π-conjugation in both of the ground and fluorescing excited states, but 9,10-di(thien-2-yl)anthracene only showed better π-conjugation in the fluorescing excited state.