Synthesis of acenes and hydroxy-acenes

1. A method, comprising:

reducing an acenequinone to form an acenepolyhydrodiol therefrom by exposing said acenequinone to a reducing environment comprising an alkoxyaluminum hydride.

2. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein said alkoxyaluminum hydride comprises lithium tri-tert-butoxyaluminohydride.

3. The method recited in claim 1 , further comprising reducing said acenepolyhydrodiol to form an acene therefrom by exposing said acenepolyhydrodiol to a second reducing environment comprising a reducing agent of stannous chloride or potassium iodide.

4. The method recited in claim 3 , wherein said second reducing environment has less that 1 wt % of said alkoxyaluminum hydride.

5. The method recited in claim 3 , wherein exposure to said second reducing environment includes incubating a solution containing said stannous chloride and said acenepolyhydrodiol for at least about 30 minutes.

6. The method recited in claim 3 , wherein said acene is an asymmetrically hydroxy-substituted acene, wherein at most one hydroxyl group is covalently bound per individual benzene ring of said hydroxy-substituted acene.

7. The method recited in claim 3 , wherein said acene comprises from three to eight benzene rings.

8. The method recited in claim 6 , wherein said hydroxy-substituted acene is a hydroxy-substituted pentacene.

9. The method recited in claim 8 , wherein said at most one hydroxyl group of said asymmetrically hydroxy-substituted pentacene is covalently bound at one of a 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 non-fusion carbon ring positions.

10. The method recited in claim 1 , further comprising reducing a para-substituted said acenepolyhydrodiol into an asymmetrically hydroxy-substituted acene by heating said acenepolyhydrodiol in an inert atmosphere.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said inert atmosphere comprises argon.

12. The method recited in claim 10 , wherein said heating comprises maintaining a temperature in a range from about 250 to about 300° C.

13. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein said acenequinone comprises a pentacenequinone.

14. The method recited in claim 1 , wherein said acenequinone comprises 6, 13 pentacenequinone.

15. The method recited in claim 1 , further including manufacturing an active device, including:

providing a substrate; and

forming a semiconductive matrix on said substrate, wherein said semiconductive matrix includes said acenepolyhydrodiol formed by said reducing of said acenequinone.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein forming said semiconductive matrix comprises depositing a solution comprising said acenepolyhydrodiol on said substrate.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein forming said semiconductive matrix further comprises reducing said acenepolyhydrodiol to an acene.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein forming said semiconductive matrix further comprises heating said acenepolyhydrodiol to form an asymmetrically hydroxy-substituted.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein said alkoxyaluminum hydride is a lithium alkoxyaluminum hydride.