Fluorene, or 9H-fluorene, is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. It has the form of odorless white crystals with melting point 116 °C and boiling point 295 °C. It is combustible. Its chemical formula is ₁₃₁₀. It has a beautiful violet fluorescence, which gave it its name. It is manufactured artificially, although it occurs in the higher boiling fractions of coal tar. It is insoluble in water and soluble in benzene and ether.

Fluorene is used to make dyes, plastics, and pesticides. It can be found in corn silk and engine exhaust gas. It is used for production of fluorenone and fluorene-9-methanol.

Poly(fluorene) is commonly used as a luminophore in organic light-emitting diodes. Fluorene copolymers are being investigated as materials for solar cells.

Fluorene should not be confused with fluorone, nor with the element fluorine.

External links

• National Pollutant Inventory - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Fact Sheet

Molecular electronics | Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Fluoren