Axial-Chiral BINOL Multiferroic Crystals with Coexistence of Ferroelectricity and Ferroelasticity

Chirality exists everywhere from natural amino acids to particle physics. The introduction of point chirality has recently been shown to be an efficient strategy for the construction of molecular ferroelectrics. In contrast to point chirality, however, axial chirality is rarely used to design ferroelectrics so far. Here, based on optically active 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol (BINOL), which has been applied extensively as a versatile chiral reagent in asymmetric catalysis, chiral recognition, and optics, we successfully design a pair of axial-chiral BINOL multiferroics, (R)-BINOL-DIPASi and (S)-BINOL-DIPASi. They experience a 2F1-type full ferroelectric/ferroelastic phase transition at a high temperature of 362 and 363 K, respectively. Piezoelectric force microscopy and polarization-voltage hysteresis loops demonstrate their ferroelectric domains and domain switching, and polarized light microscopy visualizes the evolution of stripe-shaped ferroelastic domains. The axial-chiral BINOL building block promotes the generation of the polar structure and ferroelectricity, and the organosilicon component increases the rotational energy barrier and thus the phase transition temperature. This work presents the first axial-chiral high-temperature multiferroic crystals, offering an efficient path for designing molecular multiferroics through the introduction of axial chirality.

Synthesis of self-organizing mesogenic materials containing a sulfur-based five-membered heterocyclic core

The majority of low molar mass calamitic mesogenic systems in the literature contain linear cores based on the 1,4-disubstituted phenyl ring. Heterocyclic cores such as thiophene impart unique physical properties as their slightly bent structure leads to features including a reduced packing ability (generally giving rise to lower melting points than their phenyl counterparts), a medium to strong lateral dipole, high anisotropy of the polarizability, low viscosity etc. This critical review describes the most recent synthetic methodology that has been used to prepare thiophene, 1,3-thiazole, and 1,3,4-thiadiazole-based mesogenic materials.

Axially Chiral 3,3'-Bi(1-benzothiophene)-2,2'-dicarboxylic Acid and Its Derivatives

Ullmann dimerization of substituted methyl 3-X-1-benzothiophene-2-carboxylates 1-7 (X = Cl, Br) gave rise to the corresponding dimeric 3,3'-bi(1-benzothiophene) esters 8-13. Resolution of the title acid 20 by fractional crystallization of its mono- and bisquininium salt afforded pure (R)- and (S)-enantiomers, the optical purity and absolute configuration of which was confirmed by CD spectrometry and by X-ray crystallography. Ullmann dimerization of chiral oxazolines 23 and 24 derived from 2 proceeded without any diastereodifferentiation. Reduction of (R)- and (S)-20 afforded the corresponding (R)- and (S)-diols 29, which served as chiral ligands in a model enantioselective reduction of acetophenone. (R)- and (S)-1-phenylethan-1-ol were formed in 28 and 29% e.e., respectively.