Synthesis, functionalization, and optical properties of chiral carbazole-based diaza[6]helicenes

In the present study, carbazole-based diaza[6]helicenes were synthesized utilizing versatile quinoline and 9-(2-ethylhexyl)-2,7-dimethoxycarbazole-3-carbaldehyde building blocks via the Wittig reaction-photocyclization strategy. The presence of bifunctional units comprising electrophilic chloroquinoline and electron-rich carbazole has opened up new opportunities. The chloro group was substituted with a chiral amine, allowing diastereomeric separation, and the chiral forms were monofunctionalized via electrophilic substitution on the carbazole unit. Postcyclization functionalization via substituting the carbazole unit provides a platform for the synthesis of chiral functionalized materials with potential application in fields such as asymmetric synthesis and organic electronics. The configuration of the diaza[6]helicene diastereomers was demonstrated by time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations. Furthermore, on the basis of the DFT calculations of the HOMO-LUMO energy levels of the chiral forms, these compounds can be potentially of interest as hole-transporting compounds.