Thermal racemization of biaryl atropisomers

Enhancing Circularly Polarized Electroluminescence through Energy Transfer within a Chiral Polymer Host

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) that are able to emit high levels of circularly polarized (CP) light hold significant promise in numerous future technologies. Such devices require chiral emissive materials to enable CP electroluminescence. However, the vast majority of current OLED emitter classes, including the state-of-the-art triplet-harvesting thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials, produce very low levels of CP electroluminescence. Here a host-guest strategy that allows for energy transfer between a chiral polymer host and a representative chiral TADF emitter is showcased. Such a mechanism results in a large amplification of the circular polarization of the emitter. As such, this study presents a promising avenue to further boost the performance of circularly polarized organic light-emitting diode devices, enabling their further development and eventual commercialization.

Resolution of 9,10-Diketo[7]helicene and Its Use in One-Step Preparation of Helicene-Based D-A-D Push-Pull Systems

Racemic 9,10-diketo[7]helicene was successfully separated into enantiomers using a reversible and stereoselective reaction with 2,2'-diamino-1,1'-binaphthalene with moderate yields but with remarkable purity (>99% de). The enantiomerically pure diketone was used as a convenient starting material for the preparation of helicene-based push-pull molecules, which incorporated aza-aryl acceptors and diarylaminophenylene donor groups in a single step. A series of six push-pull systems, along with three reference molecules without donors, were prepared and studied using UV/vis and fluorescence measurements, circular dichroism, and DFT calculations.

Study on the stability of molecular chirality and the configuration protection of dihydromyricetin in vine tea

This study aims to investigate the impact of four key factors, namely, temperature, water source, metal ion, and pH, on the stability of molecular chirality of dihydromyricetin (DMY) and proposed effective strategies for configuration protection. The findings reveal that temperatures exceeding 80°C could accelerate the racemization process of DMY, with a significant increase in racemization observed at 100°C. In addition, DMY exhibited heightened stability in ultrapure water as compared to various water sources, including pure water-1, pure water-2, mineral water, and running water. Notably, the presence of Fe2+ displayed an inhibitory effect on the racemization of DMY, whereas Mg2+, Ca2+, and Mn2+ showed a substantial promotional effect. Additionally, acidic conditions (pH < 5.0) were found to be protective for maintaining the stability of DMY, whereas alkaline conditions (pH > 9.0) were observed to be detrimental. Meanwhile, we first identified the presence of another pair of DMY isomers in this work.

Investigating the diastereoselective synthesis of a macrocycle under Curtin-Hammett control

This work sheds new light on the stereoselective synthesis of chiral macrocycles containing twisted aromatic units, valuable π-conjugated materials for recognition, sensing, and optoelectronics. For the first time, we use the Curtin-Hammett principle to investigate a chiral macrocyclisation reaction, revealing the potential for supramolecular π-π interactions to direct the outcome of a dynamic kinetic resolution, favouring the opposite macrocyclic product to that expected under reversible, thermodynamically controlled conditions. Specifically, a dynamic, racemic perylene diimide dye (1 : 1 P : M) is strapped with an enantiopure (S)-1,1'-bi-2-naphthol group (P-BINOL) to form two diastereomeric macrocyclic products, the homochiral macrocycle (PP) and the heterochiral species (PM). We find there is notable selectivity for the PM macrocycle (dr = 4 : 1), which is rationalised by kinetic templation from intramolecular aromatic non-covalent interactions between the P-BINOL π-donor and the M-PDI π-acceptor during the macrocyclisation reaction.

A fruitful century for the scalable synthesis and reactions of biphenyl derivatives: applications and biological aspects

This review provides recent developments in the current status and latest synthetic methodologies of biphenyl derivatives. Furthermore, this review investigates detailed discussions of several metalated chemical reactions related to biphenyl scaffolds such as Wurtz-Fittig, Ullmann, Bennett-Turner, Negishi, Kumada, Stille, Suzuki-Miyaura, Friedel-Crafts, cyanation, amination, and various electrophilic substitution reactions supported by their mechanistic pathways. Furthermore, the preconditions required for the existence of axial chirality in biaryl compounds are discussed. Furthermore, atropisomerism as a type of axial chirality in biphenyl molecules is discussed. Additionally, this review covers a wide range of biological and medicinal applications of the synthesized compounds involving patented approaches in the last decade corresponding to investigating the crucial role of the biphenyl structures in APIs.

(BO)2 -Doped Tetrathia[7]helicene: A Configurationally Stable Blue Emitter

Helicenes combine two central themes in chemistry: extended π-conjugation and chirality. Hetero-atom doping preserves both characteristics and allows modulation of the electronic structure of a helicene. Herein, we report the (BO)2 -doped tetrathia[7]helicene 1, which was prepared from 2-methoxy-3,3'-bithiophene in four steps. 1 is formally derived by substituting two (Mes)B-O moieties in place of (H)C=C(H) fragments in two benzene rings of the parent tetrathia[7]helicene. X-ray crystallography revealed a dihedral angle of 50.26(9)° between the two terminal thiophene rings. The (P)-/(M)-1 enantiomers were separated by chiral HPLC and are configurationally stable at room temperature. The experimentally determined enantiomerization barrier of 27.4±0.1 kcal mol-1 is lower than that of tetrathia[7]helicene (39.4±0.1 kcal mol-1 ). The circular dichroism spectra of (P)- and (M)-1 show a perfect mirror-image relationship. 1 is a blue emitter (λem =411 nm) with a photoluminescence quantum efficiency of ΦPL =6 % (cf. tetrathia[7]helicene: λem ≈405 nm, ΦPL =5 %).

Developing an atroposelective dynamic kinetic resolution of MRTX1719 by resolving incompatible chemical operations

A high-yielding protocol for atropisomeric resolution was developed by rectifying incompatibilities between crystallization and epimerization via continuous processing. Application toward synthesis of MRTX1719, a densely functionalized active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), improved yield from 37% to 87%. This protocol provides a complementary means to access rotamers which challenge current asymmetric methodologies, and greatly improves sustainability by decreasing the consumption of solvent and advanced synthetic intermediates.

Transfer of Axial Chirality to the Nanoscale Endows Carbon Nanodots with Circularly Polarized Luminescence

We report the synthesis, purification and characterization of chiral carbon nanodots starting from atropoisomeric precursors. The obtained atropoisomeric carbon nanodots are soluble in organic solvents and have good thermal stability, which are desirable features for technological applications. The synthetic protocol is robust, as it supports a number of variations in terms of molecular doping agents. Remarkably, the combination of axially chiral precursors and 1,4-benzoquinone as doping agent results in green-emissive carbon dots displaying circularly polarized luminescence. Dissymmetry factors of |3.5|×10-4 are obtained in solution, without the need of any additional element of chirality. Introducing axial chirality expands the strategies available to tailor the properties of carbon nanodots, paving the way for carbon nanoparticles that combine good processability in organic solvents with engineered advanced chiroptical properties.

Enantioselective Recognition of Helicenes by a Tailored Chiral Benzo[ghi]perylene Trisimide π-Scaffold

Enantioselective molecular recognition of chiral molecules that lack specific interaction sites for hydrogen bonding or Lewis acid-base interactions remains challenging. Here we introduce the concept of tailored chiral π-surfaces toward the maximization of shape complementarity. As we demonstrate for helicenes it is indeed possible by pure van-der-Waals interactions (π-π interactions and CH-π interactions) to accomplish enantioselective binding. This is shown for a novel benzo[ghi]perylene trisimide (BPTI) receptor whose π-scaffold is contorted into a chiral plane by functionalization with 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol (BINOL). Complexation experiments of enantiopure (P)-BPTI with (P)- and (M)-[6]helicene afforded binding constants of 10 700 M-1 and 550 M-1 , respectively, thereby demonstrating the pronounced enantiodifferentiation by the homochiral π-scaffold of the BPTI host. The enantioselective recognition is even observable by the naked eye due to a specific exciplex-type emission originating from the interacting homochiral π-scaffolds of electron-rich [6]helicene and electron-poor BPTI.

Inducing Single-Handed Helicity in a Twisted Molecular Nanoribbon

Molecular conformation has an important role in chemistry and materials science. Molecular nanoribbons can adopt chiral twisted helical conformations. However, the synthesis of single-handed helically twisted molecular nanoribbons still represents a considerable challenge. Herein, we describe an asymmetric approach to induce single-handed helicity with an excellent degree of conformational discrimination. The chiral induction is the result of the chiral strain generated by fusing two oversized chiral rings and of the propagation of that strain along the nanoribbon's backbone.

Synthesis of Bridged Indigos and Their Thermoisomerization and Photoisomerization Behaviors

Bridged indigos were synthesized by bridging the two nitrogen atoms in the indigo structure with a carbon chain, and their properties were carefully examined. These bridged indigos have intrinsic planar chirality, and the enantiomers were separated using chiral high-performance liquid chromatography. When the chiral bridged indigos were subjected to thermo- and photoisomerization, the corresponding (Z)-indigo was not observed at all, and racemization was observed. This phenomenon is caused by the low activation energy of inversion due to the 1.5 bond order of the double bond of the indigo skeleton and the large energy difference between the ground states of (E)-indigo and (Z)-indigo.

Liquid Chromatographic Enantioseparations Utilizing Chiral Stationary Phases Based on Crown Ethers and Cyclofructans

Natural compounds can exist in different forms, where molecules possessing chirality play an essential role in living organisms. Currently, one of the most important tasks of modern analytical chemistry is the enantioseparation of chiral compounds, in particular, the enantiomers of compounds having biological and/or pharmaceutical activity. Whether the task is to analyze environmental or food samples or to develop an assay for drug control, well-reproducible, highly sensitive, stereoselective, and robust methods are required. High-performance liquid chromatography best meets these conditions. Nevertheless, in many cases, gas chromatography, supercritical fluid chromatography, or capillary electrophoresis can also offer a suitable solution. Amino acids, proteins, cyclodextrins, derivatized polysaccharides, macrocyclic glycopeptides, and ion exchangers can serve as efficient selectors in liquid chromatography, and they are quite frequently applied and reviewed. Crown ethers and cyclofructans possessing similar structural characteristics and selectivity in the enantiodiscrimination of different amine compounds are discussed less frequently. This review collects information on enantioseparations achieved recently with the use of chiral stationary phases based on crown ethers or cyclofructans, focusing on liquid chromatographic applications.

Stable Axially Chiral Isomers of Arylnaphthalene Lignan Glycosides with Antiviral Potential Discovered from Justicia procumbens

Arylnaphthalene lignans (ANLs) were known to have axial chirality due to the biphenyl skeleton with hindered rotation at the single bond. However, the stable ANL atropisomers have not been isolated from nature until the present study. Phytochemical separation of the methanol extract of the stems and barks of Justicia procumbens led to the isolation of 11 ANL glycosides including four pairs of new atropisomers with stable confirmations at room temperature. Their structures were deduced from elucidation of the extensive spectral data, and their absolute configurations were determined by the circular dichroism, electronic circular dichroism, and X-ray methods as well as the total synthesis of one pair of the atropisomers. The ANL compounds were evaluated for their antiviral potential, and it was found that they displayed great antiviral activity discrepancy between a pair of atropisomers due to the geometric orientation. The 1'P-oriented atropisomers showed much more significant antiviral potency than their corresponding 1'M-oriented counterparts. The biological activity discrepancy caused by the axial chirality will not only inspire synthetic design of novel ANL atropisomers to enrich the structural diversity, but also provide important hints to direct the synthetic approaches toward the antiviral drug development of ANL compounds.

Pristine Graphene as a Racemization Catalyst for Axially Chiral BINOL

Despite versatile applications of functionalized graphene in catalysis, applications of pure, unfunctionalized graphene in catalysis are in their infancy. This work uses both computational and experimental approaches to show that single-layer graphene can efficiently catalyze the racemization of axially chiral BINOL in solution. Using double-hybrid density functional theory (DHDFT) we calculate the uncatalyzed and catalyzed Gibbs free reaction barrier heights in a number of representative solvents of varying polarity: benzene, diphenyl ether, dimethylformamide (DMF), and water. These calculations show that (i) graphene can achieve significant catalytic efficiencies (▵▵G^≠ _cat ) varying between 47.2 (in diphenyl ether) and 60.7 (in DMF) kJ mol^-1 . An energy decomposition analysis reveals that this catalytic activity is driven by electrostatic and dispersion interactions. Based on these computational results, we explore the graphene-catalyzed racemization of axially chiral BINOL experimentally and show that single-layer graphene can efficiently catalyze this process. Whilst the uncatalyzed racemization requires high temperatures of over 200 °C, a pristine single-layer graphene catalyst makes it accessible at 60 °C.

Large transition state stabilization from a weak hydrogen bond

A series of molecular rotors was designed to study and measure the rate accelerating effects of an intramolecular hydrogen bond. The rotors form a weak neutral O–H⋯O Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019 ]]> C hydrogen bond in the planar transition state (TS) of the bond rotation process. The rotational barrier of the hydrogen bonding rotors was dramatically lower (9.9 kcal mol⁻¹) than control rotors which could not form hydrogen bonds. The magnitude of the stabilization was significantly larger than predicted based on the independently measured strength of a similar O–H⋯OC hydrogen bond (1.5 kcal mol⁻¹). The origins of the large transition state stabilization were studied via experimental substituent effect and computational perturbation analyses. Energy decomposition analysis of the hydrogen bonding interaction revealed a significant reduction in the repulsive component of the hydrogen bonding interaction. The rigid framework of the molecular rotors positions and preorganizes the interacting groups in the transition state. This study demonstrates that with proper design a single hydrogen bond can lead to a TS stabilization that is greater than the intrinsic interaction energy, which has applications in catalyst design and in the study of enzyme mechanisms.

A series of molecular rotors was designed to study and measure the rate accelerating effects of an intramolecular hydrogen bond.

Effective Enantiodiscrimination in Electroanalysis Based on a New Inherently Chiral 1,1'-binaphthyl Selector Directly Synthesizable in Enantiopure Form

Enantioselective electroanalysis, which aims to discriminate the enantiomers of electroactive chiral probes in terms of potential difference, is a very attractive goal. To achieve this, its implementation is being studied for various "inherently chiral" selectors, either at the electrode surface or in the medium, yielding outstanding performance. In this context, the new inherently chiral monomer Naph₂T₄ is introduced, based on a biaromatic atropisomeric core, which is advantageously obtainable in enantiopure form without HPLC separation steps by a synthetic route hinging on enantiopure 2,2'-dibromo-1,1'-binaphthalenes. The antipodes of the new inherently chiral monomer can be easily electrooligomerized, yielding inherently chiral electrode surfaces that perform well in both cyclic voltammetry (CV) enantiodiscrimination tests with pharmaceutically interesting molecules and in magnetoelectrochemistry experiments.

Catalysis by Pure Graphene-From Supporting Actor to Protagonist through Shape Complementarity

In most catalytic applications, graphene is either functionalized or acts as the catalyst support. DFT calculations show on the example of the racemizations of binaphthyl compounds that pure unmodified graphene can directly catalyze chemical processes through stabilizing noncovalent π-π interactions resulting from shape complementarity between transition structures and catalyst.

Optical Stability of 1,1'-Binaphthyl Derivatives

The racemization process of various 1,1'-binaphthyl derivatives is studied by quantum calculations. The preferred racemization pathway passes through a transition state belonging to the Ci symmetry group. The energy barrier for this process is independent of solvation, the electron-withdrawing/releasing power of substituents, or their ability to engage in H-bonds within the molecule. The primary factor is instead the substituent size. The barrier is thus reduced when the -OH groups of 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol are replaced by H. There is a drop in the barrier also when the substituents are moved from the 2,2' positions to 6,6', where they will not come close to one another in the transition state. Upon removal of the peripheral aromatic rings of the binaphthyl system, the biphenyl system undergoes a facile racemization. It is concluded that the optimal means of improving optical stability of 1,1'-binaphthyl systems is the substitution of large bulky groups in the 2,2' positions.

Frontier molecular orbital effects control the hole-catalyzed racemization of atropisomeric biaryls

Atropisomeric biaryl systems are privileged architectures used in asymmetric synthesis and pharmaceutical structures. We report that by simply removing a single-electron, the resistance of biaryls towards racemization is reduced dramatically. Even though the steric properties are unaltered, biaryl oxidation changes atropisomerization into a two step mechanism with considerably smaller activation barriers than closed-shell biaryls. The effect is general for a series of biaryls and helicenes studied and results from the dependence of frontier molecular orbital energies on biaryl conformation.