An oven-dried Schlenk tube was loaded with 100 mg (0.20 mmol) 2,7-bis-(trifluoromethyl)-4,9-dibromo-1,3,6,8-tetraazapyrene, 147 mg (1.00 mmol) 4-cyanophenylboronic acid, 391 mg (1.20 mmol) caesium carbonate and 15 mg (0.02 mmol) Pd(dppf)Cl2 and evacuated and refilled with argon for three times. 20 ml abs. 1,4-dioxane were added, the Schlenk tube was sealed with a glass cap and the reaction mixture was stirred at 101° C. for 48 h. The mixture was allowed to cool to room temperature, the solvent was evaporated and the solid residue was extracted with chloroform. The organic phase was washed with water and brine, dried over sodium sulphate and evaporated in vacuo. The solid was washed with methanol and pentane to yield 65 mg (0.12 mmol, 60%) of the compound as a light grey solid.
