Corannulene: a molecular bowl of carbon with multifaceted properties and diverse applications

Unlike typical polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, such as coronene, which are flat and planar, corannulene is a molecular bowl of carbon. It can be imagined as the cap region of fullerene C-60 or an end of a single-walled carbon nanotube. This structural distinction manifests itself in unique properties. For example, corannulene exhibits bowl-flipping dynamics, electron accepting capability, and formation of a ball-in-socket type of interaction with C-60. These varied properties allow for application of corannulene in a myriad of disciplines ranging from organic electronics and sensing to energy storage and self-assembly. In this feature article, our goal is to discuss the major synthetic developments in corannulene chemistry which allow the scientific community access to this beautiful molecule in a practical fashion, the unique properties of the corannulene nucleus that sets it apart from the planar polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, and lastly its applications in the arena of materials chemistry.