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A series of regioisomeric push–pull amino-nitro [6]helicenes and a related [7]helicene derivative were prepared and their racemates resolved into enantiomers. Compared to the parent helicenes, they exhibit red-shifted UV-Vis spectra, pronounced dipole moments, altered chiroptical properties such as remarkable optical rotatory power, and can form nanocrystalline Langmuir–Blodgett films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Helical chirality is a novel enantioselectivity‐inducing property in transition‐metal‐catalyzed transformations. The principle is illustrated herein for the example of asymmetric olefin metathesis. This work reports the synthesis of the first helically chiral Ru‐NHC alkylidene complex from an aminohelicene‐derived imidazolium salt, which was ligated to the first generation Hoveyda–Grubbs catalyst. Kinetic data were acquired for benchmark test reactions and compared to an achiral catalyst. The helically chiral Ru‐catalyst was evaluated in asymmetric ring‐closing metathesis (RCM) and ring‐opening metathesis–cross‐metathesis (ROM/CM) reactions, which proceeded with promising levels of enantioselectivity. Extensive NMR‐spectroscopic investigations and a DFT geometry optimization were performed. These results led to a topographic steric map and calculation of percent‐buried‐volume values for each quadrant around the metal center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of oxahelicenes composed of ortho/ meta-annulated benzene/pyridine and 2 H-pyran rings were synthesized on the basis of the cobalt(I)-mediated (or rhodium(I)- or nickel(0)-mediated) double, triple, or quadruple [2+2+2] cycloisomerization of branched aromatic hexa-, nona-, or dodecaynes, thus allowing the construction of 6, 9, or 12 rings in a single operation. The use of a flow reactor was found to be beneficial for the multicyclization reactions. The stereogenic centers present in some of the oligoynes steered the helical folding in such a way that the final oxa[9]-, [13]-, [17]- and [19]helicenes were obtained in both enantiomerically and diastereomerically pure form. Specifically, the oxa[19]helicenes beat the current record in the length of a helicene backbone. Single-molecule conductivity was studied by the mechanically controllable break-junction method with a pyridooxa[9]helicene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A straightforward approach to enantiopure 2H-pyran-modified amino[5]helicenes and amino[6]helicenes was developed. They were converted to 1,3-disubstituted imidazolium salts and used as NHC ligand precursors in the Ni0-catalysed enantioselective [2+2+2] cycloisomerisation of aromatic triynes to obtain the model helicene derivatives in up to 86% ee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chimerical pyrene-based dibenzo[7]helicene rac- 1 and 2 H-pyran[7]helicene ( M, R, R)-(−)- 2, in which two pyrene subunits are fused to the [7]helicene/[7]heterohelicene scaffold, were synthesised by means of Ni0- or CoI-mediated [2+2+2] cycloisomerisation of dipyrenyl-acetylene-derived triynes. Pyrene-based dibenzo[7]helicene 1 was obtained in enantioenriched form by enantioselective cycloisomerisation under Ni0/QUINAP catalysis (57 % ee) or in enantiopure form by racemate resolution by liquid chromatography on a chiral column. 1,3-Allylic-type strain-controlled diastereoselective cycloisomerisation was employed in the synthesis of enantiopure ( M, R, R)-(−)- 2. Physicochemical properties of 1 and 2 encompassing the helicity assignment, stability to racemisation, X-ray crystal structure, UV/Vis, experimental/calculated electronic circular dichroism and fluorescence spectra were studied. Accordingly, comparison of the X-ray crystal structure of ( M, R, R)-(−)- 2 with calculated structures (DFT: B3LYP/cc-pVDZ, B97D/cc-pVDZ) indicated that its helical backbone is slightly over-flattened owing to intramolecular dispersion forces between tert-butylated pyrene subunits. Both 1 and 2 are fluorescent (with quantum yields in dichloromethane of ΦF=0.10 and 0.17, respectively) and are suggested to form intramolecular excimer states upon excitation, which are remarkably stabilised and exhibit large Stokes shifts (296 and 203 nm, respectively). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the rapid access and functionalized derivatives of dibenzohelicenes. It states that the dibenzohelicenes' construction relies on the pivotal Sonogashira and Suzuki-Miyaura couplings for the assembly of key aromatic triynes with a subsequent alkyne cycloisomerization for the formation of helical backbones. It says that the dibenzohelicenes have an advantage over helicenes due to the simplicity of its non-photochemical preparation.

The role of the helicity of small molecules in enantioselective catalysis, molecular recognition, self-assembly, material science, biology, and nanoscience is much less understood than that of point-, axial-, or planar-chiral molecules. To uncover the envisaged potential of helically chiral polyaromatics represented by iconic helicenes, their availability in an optically pure form through asymmetric synthesis is urgently needed. We provide a solution to this problem present since the birth of helicene chemistry in 1956 by developing a general synthetic methodology for the preparation of uniformly enantiopure fully aromatic [5]-, [6]-, and [7]helicenes and their functionalized derivatives. [2 + 2 + 2] Cycloisomerization of chiral triynes combined with asymmetric transformation of the first kind (ultimately controlled by the 1,3-allylic-type strain) is central to this endeavor. The point-to-helical chirality transfer utilizing a traceless chiral auxiliary features a remarkable resistance to diverse structural perturbations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]