Acene synthesis sets new record for twisted molecules

Twisting acenes by introducing sterically crowded groups has produced a family of molecules dubbed twistacenes. For a long time, these molecules remained practically unexplored, mostly because their synthesis is extremely challenging. Now, a team of chemists report the synthesis of decatwistacene, which is the longest of its kind.¹ The molecule also exhibits a record torsion angle of 170°, surpassing the 144° of highly twisted pentacene.²