Pentacenequinone Derivatives for Preparation of Gold Nanoparticles: Facile Synthesis and Catalytic Application

We have designed and synthesized pentacenequinone/pentacenequinodimethane derivatives 3, 4 and 6 having nitrile groups using Suzuki–Miyaura coupling and Knoevenagel condensation protocols. Interestingly, these pentacenequinone/pentacenequinodimethane derivatives form fluorescent aggregates in aqueous media due to their aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) characteristics. Further these fluorescent aggregates generate gold nanoparticles at room temperature without addition of any external reducing agent, stabilizing agent and shape-directing additives. In addition, these nanomaterials have been found to have high catalytic activity for the reduction of p-nitroaniline to p-phenylenediamine.