Tetracene

Tetracene
IUPAC name	Tetracene
Other names	Naphthacene Benz[b]anthracene 2,3-Benzanthracene
Identifiers
CAS number	92-24-0 Y
PubChem	7080
SMILES	c34cc2cc1ccccc1cc2cc3cccc4
Properties
Molecular formula	C18H12
Molar mass	228.29 g/mol
Appearance	Yellow to orange solid
Melting point	357 °C, 630 K, 675 °F
Solubility in water	Insoluble
Hazards
EU Index	Not listed
Y (what is this?)  (verify) Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references

Tetracene, also called naphthacene, is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. It has the appearance of a pale orange powder. Tetracene is the four-ringed member of the series of acenes, the previous one being anthracene (tricene) and the next one being pentacene.

Tetracene is a molecular organic semiconductor, used in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). In May 2007, researchers from two Japanese universities, Tohoku University in Sendai, and Osaka University, have reported an ambipolar light-emitting transistor made of a single tetracene crystal.^[1] Ambipolar means that the electric charge is transported by both, positively charged molecular cations and negatively charged molecular anions. Tetracene can be also used as a gain medium in dye lasers as a sensitiser in chemoluminescence.

Jan Hendrik Schön during his time at Bell Labs (1997-2002) claimed to have developed an electrically-pumped laser based on tetracene. However, his results could not be reproduced and it is considered scientific fraud.^[2]

References