Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs), defined as nanometer-wide strips of graphene, have attracted increasing attention as promising candidates for next-generation semiconductors. Here, we demonstrate a bottom-up strategy toward novel low band gap GNRs (E_g = 1.70 eV) with a well-defined cove-type periphery both in solution and on a solid substrate surface with chrysene as the key monomer. Corresponding cyclized chrysene-based oligomers consisting of the dimer and tetramer are obtained via an Ullmann coupling followed by oxidative intramolecular cyclodehydrogenation in solution, and much higher GNR homologues via on-surface synthesis. These oligomers adopt nonplanar structures due to the steric repulsion between the two C–H bonds at the inner cove position. Characterizations by single crystal X-ray analysis, UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) are described. The interpretation is assisted by density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Herein we describe a distorted ribbon-shaped nanographene exhibiting unprecedented combination of optical properties in graphene-related materials, namely upconversion based on two-photon absorption (TPA-UC) together with circularly polarized luminescence (CPL). The compound is a graphene molecule of ca. 2 nm length and 1 nm width with edge defects that promote the distortion of the otherwise planar lattice. The edge defects are an aromatic saddle-shaped ketone unit and a [5]carbohelicene moiety. This system is shown to combine two-photon absorption and circularly polarized luminescence and a remarkably long emission lifetime of 21.5 ns. The [5]helicene is responsible for the chiroptical activity while the push–pull geometry and the extended network of sp² carbons are factors favoring the nonlinear absorption. Electronic structure theoretical calculations support the interpretation of the results.