Benzannelated 9-hydroxyphenalenones

Abstract

The preparation and characterization of the two title compounds (6-hydroxybenz[de]anthracen-7-one (2) and 3-hydroxybenz[de]anthracen-4-one(3) or their proton tautomers), and an isomer (8-hydroxybenz[ de]anthracen-7-one (4)), are reported. The electronic spectra of (2) and (3) suggest that annelation of 9-hydroxyphenalenone (1) produces substantial shifts in the energies and intensities of the transitions, but does not fundamentally alter the underlying character of the chromophore.