Tetraaza[7]–[15]helicenes Synthesized by Two‐Step Strategy: Length‐Controlled Chiral π‐Systems Exhibiting Amplified Circularly Polarized Luminescence
Helicenes are chiral π-conjugated molecules whose properties strongly depend on their lengths. Systematic studies of these compounds have been limited by synthetic challenges. Here we report a concise two-step strategy (defined as the helicene-forming sequence from aminohelicene precursors) to access a homologous series of tetraaza[7]-[15]helicenes. Optical spectra converge beyond [11]H, defining a conjugation ceiling, while chiroptical responses amplify sharply, yielding |g<sub>lum</sub>| up to 0.028. Fluorescence quantum yields show a nonmonotonic dependence, with [7]H and [15]H maintaining both high Φ<sub>F</sub> (0.39 and 0.36) and large |g<sub>lum</sub>|, resulting in outstanding, albeit semi-quantitative, CPL performance, with figures of merit reaching 0.010 and CPL brightness values of approximately 490. TD-DFT calculations attribute this amplification to the delayed alignment of electric and magnetic transition dipoles, while <sup>1</sup>H NMR shifts of inner protons provide an independent probe of structural reorganization within the helical cavity. Additionally, experiment and theory have consistently identified [11]H as the critical helicene length at which the framework undergoes a qualitative transition. Notably, the [15]helicene constitutes the longest helicene ever resolved into its enantiomers, underscoring the synthetic power of this modular approach. Importantly, our synthetic route is effective for constructing higher-order helicenes, offering a generalizable platform for length-controlled, heteroatom-containing helicenes. These findings establish long tetraazahelicenes as a rare platform where through-bond conjugation and through-space orbital coupling act cooperatively to govern photophysical and chiroptical properties.
Authors
- Yuki Ikeda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8045-9625)
- Kohei Ueda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9326-3058)
- Takashi Otani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5673-516X)
- Yuchen Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2759-3021)
- Yuna Tada
- Natsuna Kinoshita
Institutions
- Waseda University (JP)
- Anan National College of Technology (JP)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition
- Published
- 2026-01-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202524463
- Primary Topic
- Synthesis and Properties of Aromatic Compounds
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science