Crystal structure of 5,7,12,14-tetra­hydro-5,14:7,12-bis­([1,2]benzeno)­penta­cene-6,13-dione1

The lattice of 5,7,12,14-tetrahydro-5,14:7,12-bis([1,2]benzeno)pentacene-6,13dione, C34H20O2, at 173 K has triclinic (P1) symmetry and crystallizes with four independent half-molecules in the asymmetric unit. Each molecule is generated from a C17H10O substructure through an inversion center at the centroid of the central quinone ring, generating a wide H-shaped molecule, with a dihedral angle between the mean planes of the terminal benzene rings in each of the two symmetry-related pairs over the four molecules of 68.6 (1) (A), 65.5 (4) (B), 62.3 (9) (C), and 65.8 (8) (D), an average of 65.6 (1) . This compound has applications in gas-separation membranes constructed from polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIM). The title compound is a product of a double Diels–Alder reaction between anthracene and p-benzoquinone followed by dehydrogenation. It has also been characterized by cyclic voltammetry and rotating disc electrode polarography, FT–IR, high resolution mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, and H NMR.