Microwave-Assisted One-Pot Synthesis of Diverse Tribenzo[a,f,h]azulen-10-ones

Azulene-type polycyclic hydrocarbons have recently attracted a great deal of attention from researchers; however, their structure–property correlations and possible uses are not being fully explored due to the lack of effective synthesis techniques. Herein, we report a hitherto unexplored one-pot, microwave-assisted synthetic strategy toward diverse tribenzo[a,f,h]azulen-10-ones by tandem Suzuki coupling and a subsequent cyclo-condensation process. The strategy provides tribenzo[a,f,h]azulen-10-ones in good to excellent yields with structural versatility, including thiophene-embedded tribenzo[a,f,h]azulen-10-ones. In addition, UV–visible absorption studies have been used to investigate their structural and photophysical properties. This strategy offers a new platform for promptly synthesizing numerous unexplored azulenone units.