Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026

Preparation of a Corannulene-functionalized Hexahelicene by Copper(I)-catalyzed Alkyne-azide Cycloaddition of Nonplanar Polyaromatic Units
Published on: September 18, 2016
Self-assembly and two-dimensional spontaneous resolution of cyano-functionalized [7]helicenes on Cu111
Meike Stöhr1, Serpil Boz, Michael Schär
1Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh, The Netherlands. m.a.stohr@rug.nl
Abstract:
Birds of a feather flock together: STM and DFT studies provide the first example of spontaneous chiral resolution of a helicene on a surface. Racemic 6,13-dicyano[7]helicene forms fully segregated domains of pure enantiomers (2D conglomerate) on Cu(111). The propensity of the system to optimize intermolecular CN⋅⋅⋅HC(Ar) hydrogen bonding and CN⋅⋅⋅CN dipolar interactions translates into chiral recognition with preferential assembly of homochiral molecules.
Related Concept Videos
Aldehydes and Ketones with HCN: Cyanohydrin Formation Overview
[4+2] Cycloaddition of Conjugated Dienes: Diels–Alder Reaction

