Acenes are linear polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons comprising n fused benzene rings. Acenes where n = 3, 4, and 5, are extensively used as active materials for organic electronic applications. 1–3 Unfortunately, acenes are hindered by poor solubility and poor stability towards photodegradation mechanisms, including photooxidation 4,5 and photodimerization. 6,7 To overcome these limitations, ethynyl-substituted acenes have been proposed leading to stable and ...