Phenanthrene is a crystalline tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbon with the molecular formula C14H10. The centers of the three rings of phenanthrene are not in a straight line and are the isomers of anthracene. In medicine, phenanthrene can synthesize alkaloids. Although phenanthrene is considered a relatively small natural product, discovering new phenanthrene derivatives and evaluating their potential biological activity has become of great interest to many research groups worldwide.
Aromatic hydrocarbons are cyclic, planar compounds that resemble benzene in electronic configuration and chemical behavior. Benzene has the molecular formula C6H6 and is the simplest aromatic hydrocarbon. The carbon atoms in benzene are linked by six equivalent σ bonds and six π bonds.