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Abstract 3‐Point annulations, or phenalenannulations, transform a benzene ring directly into a substituted pyrene by “wrapping” two new cycles around the perimeter of the central ring at three consecutive carbon atoms. This efficient, modular, and general method for π‐extension opens access to non‐symmetric pyrenes and their expanded analogues. Potentially, this approach can convert any aromatic ring bearing a ‐CH₂Br or a ‐CHO group into a pyrene moiety. Depending upon the workup choices, the process can be directed towards either tin‐ or iodo‐substituted product formation, giving complementary choices for further various cross‐coupling reactions. The two‐directional bis‐double annulation adds two new polyaromatic extensions with a total of six new aromatic rings at a central core. 

Abstract Incorporation of a five‐membered ring into a helicene framework disrupts aromatic conjugation and provides a site for selective deprotonation. The deprotonation creates an anionic cyclopentadienyl unit, switches on conjugation, leads to a >200 nm red‐shift in the absorbance spectrum and injects a charge into a helical conjugated π‐system without injecting a spin. Structural consequences of deprotonation were revealed via analysis of a monoanionic helicene co‐crystallized with {K⁺(18‐crown‐6)(THF)} and {Cs⁺₂(18‐crown‐6)₃}. UV/Vis‐monitoring of these systems shows a time‐dependent formation of mono‐ and dianionic species, and the latter was isolated and crystallographically characterized. The ability of the twisted helicene frame to delocalize the negative charge was probed as a perturbation of aromaticity using NICS scans. Relief of strain, avoidance of antiaromaticity, and increase in charge delocalization assist in the additional dehydrogenative ring closures that yield a new planarized decacyclic dianion.