Synthesis of Aza[n]helicenes up to n = 19: Hydrogen-Bond-Assisted Solubility and Benzannulation Strategy

Synthetic challenges toward anomalous structures and electronic states often involve handling problems such as insolubility in common organic solvents and oxidative degradation under aerobic conditions. We designed benzo-annulated aza[n]helicenes, which benefit from both the suppressed elevation of highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energies and high solubility due to hydrogen bonding with solvent molecules to overcome these challenges. This strategy enabled the synthesis of six new aza[n]helicenes ([n]AHs) of different lengths (n = 9–19) from acyclic precursors via one-pot intramolecular oxidative fusion reactions. The structures of all of the synthesized aza[n]helicenes were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and their electrochemical potentials were measured by cyclic voltammetry. Among the synthesized aza[n]helicenes, [17]AH and [19]AH are the first heterohelicenes with a triple-layered helix. The noncovalent interaction (NCI) plots confirm the existence of an effective π–π interaction between the layers. The absorption and fluorescence spectra red-shifted as the helical lengths increased, without any distinct saturation points. The optical resolutions of N-butylated [9]AH, [11]AH, [13]AH, and [15]AH were accomplished, and their circular dichroism (CD) and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) were measured. Thus, the structural, (chir)optical, and electrochemical properties of the aza[n]helicenes were comprehensively analyzed.