During the last years we have witnessed progressive evolution of preparation of acenes with length up to dodecacene by on-surface synthesis in ultra-high vacuum or generation of acenes up to decacene in solid matrices at low temperatures. While these protocols with very specific conditions produce the acenes in amount of few molecules, the strategies leading to the acenes in large quantities dawdle behind. Only recently and after 70 years of synthetic attempts, heptacene has been prepared in bulk phase. However, the preparative scale synthesis of higher homologues still remains a formidable challenge. Here we report the preparation and characterisation of nonacene and show its excellent thermal and in-time stability.

GNS Group CEMES CNRS 29 Rue J Marvig 31055 Toulouse France

Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences 16610 Prague 6 Czech Republic

Japan Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery Hokkaido University Sapporo Hokkaido 001 0021 Japan

Univ Bordeaux CNRS Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal UMR 5031 33600 Pessac France

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