Tricyclobutabenzene is an aromatic hydrocarbon consisting of a benzene core with three cyclobutane rings fused onto it.

The parent tricyclobutabenzene (C12H12) was first synthesised in 1979[1] by the following sequence:[2][3] This compound is stable up to 250 °C (482 °F).

On the other hand, no change is recorded in the aromatic bond length alternation.

Similar chemistry yielded the six-fold ketone hexaoxotricyclobutabenzene C12O6, which happens to be a novel oxide of carbon.

[5] A key starting material is the iodo triflate depicted below which is a benzotriyne synthon.