Versatile bottom-up approach to stapled π-conjugated helical scaffolds: synthesis and chiroptical properties of cyclic o-phenylene ethynylene oligomers

Abstract

Spring loaded: the smallest members of a family of carbon nanocoils (CNCs), adopting a fixed helical structure, have been synthesized by introduction of one or two staples in o-phenylene ethynylene oligomers. The chiroptical responses of the systems having enantiopure L-tartrate-derived staples confirmed the induced helicity. Theoretical studies suggest that these CNCs are pseudoelastic.