helicene
Sign in to saveright|thumb|150px|Hexahelicene [[File:Helicenegeneral.svg|right|thumb|150px|General structure formula of [n]helicene]] In organic chemistry, helicenes are ortho-condensed polycyclic aromatic compounds in which benzene rings or other aromatics are angularly annulated to give helically-shaped chiral molecules. The chemistry of helicenes has attracted continuing attention because of their unique structural, spectral, and optical features.
Article
5 sectionsContents
- Structure and properties
- Synthesis
- Applications
- See also
- References
right|thumb|150px|Hexahelicene [[File:Helicenegeneral.svg|right|thumb|150px|General structure formula of [n]helicene]] In organic chemistry, helicenes are ortho-condensed polycyclic aromatic compounds in which benzene rings or other aromatics are angularly annulated to give helically-shaped chiral molecules. The chemistry of helicenes has attracted continuing attention because of their unique structural, spectral, and optical features.
==Structure and properties== The systematic naming for this class of compounds is based on the number of rings: [n]helicene is the structure consisting of n rings. According to IUPAC, only structures where n is at least 5 are considered helicenes. Some specific compounds also have alternate or trivial names. As the number of rings increases, starting at four, the structure becomes non-planar, but instead the planes of consecutive rings tilt to prevent steric collisions. For helicenes with six benzene units, a 360° turn is completed. In the helicene series the dihedral angles between the extremities increases going from [4]helicene (26°) to [6]helicene (58°) and then decreases again for example in [7]helicene (30°).