Helitwistacenes-Combining Lateral and Longitudinal Helicity Results in Solvent-Induced Inversion of Circularly Polarized Light

Helicity is expressed differently in ortho- and para-fused acenes-helicenes and twistacenes, respectively. While the extent of helicity is constant in helicenes, it can be tuned in twistacenes, and the handedness of flexible twistacenes is often determined by more rigid helicenes. Here, we combine helicenes with rigid twistacenes consisting of a tunable degree of twisting, forming helitwistacenes. While the X-ray structures reveal that the connection does not affect the helicity of each moiety, their electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) spectra are strongly affected by the helicity of the twistacene unit, resulting in solvent-induced sign inversion. ROESY NMR and TD-DFT calculations support this observation, which is explained by differences in the relative orientation of the helicene and twistacene moieties.

The effect of axial and helical chirality on circularly polarized luminescence: lessons learned from tethered twistacenes

The effect of axial and helical twisting on the circularly polarized luminescence of acenes was studied both experimentally and computationally, using four series of tethered twisted acenes. We find that the combination of axial and helical chirality yields the highest anisotropy factors, and that the ratio between the absorption and emission anisotropy factors is an intrinsic property for twistacenes.

Optical Activity and Spin Polarization: The Surface Effect

Chirality ('handedness') is a property that underlies a broad variety of phenomena in nature. Chiral molecules appear in two forms, and each is a mirror image of the other, the two enantiomers. The chirality of molecules is associated with their optical activity, and circular dichroism is commonly applied to identify the handedness of chiral molecules. Recently, the chiral induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect was established, according to which transfer of electrons within chiral molecules depends on the electron's spin. Which spin is preferred depends on the handedness of the chiral molecule and the direction of motion of the electron. Several experiments in the past indicated that there may be a relation between the optical activity of the molecules and their spin selectivity. Here, we show that for a molecule containing several stereogenic axes, when adsorbed on a metal substrate, the peaks in the CD spectra have the same signs for the two enantiomers. This is not the case when the molecules are adsorbed on a nonmetallic substrate or dissolved in solution. Quantum chemical simulations are able to explain the change in the CD spectra upon adsorption of the molecules on conductive and nonconductive surfaces. Surprisingly, the CISS properties are similar for the two enantiomers when adsorbed on the metal substrate, while when the molecules are adsorbed on nonmetallic surface, the preferred spin depends on the molecule handedness. This correlation between the optical activity and the CISS effect indicates that the CISS effect relates to the global polarizability of the molecule.

Sequential Selective C-H and C(sp3 )-+ P Bond Functionalizations: An Entry to Bioactive Arylated Scaffolds

Organophosphonium salts containing C(sp³ )-⁺ P bonds are among the most utilized reagents in organic synthesis for constructing C-C double bonds. However, their use as C-selective electrophilic groups is rare. Here, we explore an efficient and general transition-metal-free method for sequential chemo- and regioselective C-H and C(sp³ )-⁺ P bond functionalizations. In the present study, C-H alkylation resulting in the synthesis of benzhydryl triarylphosphonium salts was achieved by one-pot, four-component cross-coupling reactions of simple and commercially available starting materials. The utility of the resulting phosphonium salt building blocks was demonstrated by the chemoselective post-functionalization of benzylic C(sp³ )-⁺ PPh₃ groups to achieve aminations, thiolations, and arylations. In this way, benzhydrylamines, benzhydrylthioethers, and triarylmethanes, structural motifs that are present in many pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, are readily accessed. These include the synthesis of two anticancer agents from simple materials in only two to three steps. Additionally, a protocol for late-stage functionalization of bioactive drugs has been developed using benzhydrylphosphonium salts. This new approach should provide novel transformations for application in both academic and pharmaceutical research.