Oxidation of 2-hydroxy-3,6,7,10,11-pentaalkoxytriphenylene ene yields the pentaalkoxytriphenylene- 1,2-quinone; reductive acetylation of this o-quinone furnishes the diacetate that can be directly alkylated to 1,2,3,6,7,10,1 1-heptaalkoxytriphenylene derivatives showing columnar Dh phases.