Petr Sehnal

An organometallic route to long helicenes

Along with the recent progress in the development of advanced synthetic methods, the chemical community has witnessed an increasing interest in promising carbon-rich materials. Among them, helicenes are unique 3D aromatic systems that are inherently chiral and attractive for asymmetric catalysis, chiral recognition and material science. However, there have been only limited attempts at synthesizing long helicenes, which represent challenging targets. Here, we report on an organometallic approach to the derivatives of undecacyclic helicene, which is based on intramolecular [2 + 2 + 2] cycloisomerization of aromatic hexaynes under metal catalysis closing 6 new cycles of a helicene backbone in a single operation. The preparation of nonracemic compounds relied on racemate resolution or diastereoselective synthesis supported by quantum chemical (density functional theory) calculations. The fully aromatic [11]helicene was studied in detail including the measurement and theoretical calculation of its racemization barrier and its organization on the InSb (001) surface by STM. This research provides a strategy for the synthesis of long helical aromatics that inherently comprise 2 possible channels for charge transport: Along a π-conjugated pathway and across an intramolecularly π-π stacked aromatic scaffold.

On the origin of diastereoselectivity in [2 + 2 + 2] cycloisomerization of chiral triynes: controlling helicity of helicene-like compounds by thermodynamic factors.

Diastereoselective CoI-mediated [2 + 2 + 2] cycloisomerization of CH(3)O-substituted optically pure aromatic triynes to obtain nonracemic functionalized helicene-like compounds (comprising a penta-, hexa-, and heptacyclic helical scaffold) was studied. The stereochemical outcome of the reaction at 140 degrees C using CpCo(CO)(2) was controlled by thermodynamic factors yielding diastereomeric ratios up to 91:9. Using CpCo(ethylene)(2) at room temperature, a kinetic control took place leading to the loss of stereoselectivity. Barriers to epimerization for selected helicene-like compounds were measured indicating their lower configurational stability in comparison to the parent carbohelicenes. Free energy differences between corresponding pairs of diastereomers (calculated at the DFT B3LYP/TZV+P level) were in excellent agreement with the experimental data and allowed for the prediction of the stereochemical outcome of the reaction. An optically pure hexacyclic helicene-like alcohol was prepared on a multigram scale. Its X-ray structure confirmed the previous helicity assignments being based on (1)H-(1)H correlations in ROESY (1)H NMR spectra.

Helicity control in the synthesis of helicenes and related compounds

Asymmetric synthesis of helicenes and their congeners has been demonstrated to rely either on enantioselective Ni0/PR3*-catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloisomerization of triynes or on diastereoselective CoI-catalyzed [2+2+2] cycloisomerization of chiral triynes. The former approach providing tetrahydrohelicenes in a nonracemic form requires further development as moderate enantioselectivities (up to 54 % ee) have so far been achieved under kinetic control. The latter approach affording helicene-like structures in a diastereomerically enriched form allows for reaching good to excellent diastereoselectivities (up to 100:0) under thermodynamic control.

Self-assembly of chiral hydrogen-bonded grid layers from terephthalic Siamese twins

Abstract 2,2′,5,5′-Tetracarboxy- and 2,2′,5,5′-tetracarbamoyl-substituted biphenyls and also the 2,2′,3,3′,6,6′-hexacarboxy-substituted analogue behave as Siamese twins of terephthalic tectons in the single crystal self-assembly, giving rise to chiral 2D grid layers. A comparison has been made with the corresponding 2,2′,6,6′-tetrasubstituted biphenyls which mimic isophthalic twins in their self-assembly.

[11]Anthrahelicene on InSb(001) c(8×2): A Low‐Temperature Scanning Probe Microscopy Study

The adsorption of individual [11]anthrahelicene molecules and their self-assembly into monolayer islands on an InSb(001) c(8×2) reconstructed surface is studied with low-temperature scanning probe microscopy. A racemic mixture is deposited on atomically flat terraces of InSb at room temperature. At lower coverage, the molecules tend to decorate atomic step edges of the substrate. At higher coverage, [11]anthrahelicene molecules form 2D islands. A quasi-hexagonal ordering of molecules within the layer is identified. Furthermore, it is shown that molecules adsorb with the helical axis almost perpendicular to the substrate. Interference between tunneling through the molecular layer and directly through space is reported. Finally, experimental results are compared to those of theoretical calculations.