Nature Synthesis, Published online: 22 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s44160-026-01155-9A modular stereoselective synthetic strategy enables precise control over the stereochemistry of multiple helicene units in nanographenes. This approach provides access to hexabenzocoronenes and graphene nanoribbons bearing up to eight uniformly aligned helicenes, with systematically tunable photophysical, chiroptical and near-infrared emissive properties for advanced optoelectronic materials.

Nature Synthesis, Published online: 22 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s44160-026-01155-9A modular stereoselective synthetic strategy enables precise control over the stereochemistry of multiple helicene units in nanographenes. This approach provides access to hexabenzocoronenes and graphene nanoribbons bearing up to eight uniformly aligned helicenes, with systematically tunable photophysical, chiroptical and near-infrared emissive properties for advanced optoelectronic materials.

Communications Chemistry, Published online: 10 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s42004-026-02185-2Incorporating nitrogen into π-conjugated hydrocarbons provides a powerful way to tune molecular geometry, electronic and light-emission properties. Here, the authors report two modular synthetic strategies for precisely positioning nitrogen atoms in double aza-helicenes and diazabenzo-fused terrylenes.

Abstract. Although several molecular systems that lead to helically twisted structures upon binding with chiral analytes and produce strong Cotton effects

Nanoscale helicenes are a recent addition to the carbon nanomaterials family. Gui-Fei Hou and colleagues1 report an azahelicene with 43 fused aromatic…

Helicates and helicenes represent two prominent classes of synthetic molecular helices, desirable for their potential in chiroptical applications. Incorporating boron into their backbone presents a promising strategy to enhance the optical properties; however, the development of boron-doped helical systems featuring tunable emission, high configurational stability, and strong chiroptical response has been limited by synthetic challenges. We report the chemistry of bora[7]helicene and its dimeric diborahelicate. While the dimeric form is thermodynamically favored in the haloborane precursor, saturation of the boron coordination sphere by exogenous carbene or carbone ligands induces monomerization, reverting the structure to the bora[7]helicene. By employing a variety of ligands, late-stage structural diversification was achieved, yielding the first examples of cationic boron helices, which show exceptional emission tunability across the entire visible spectrum, and chiroptical responses surpassing those of previously reported [7]helicenes. Theoretical studies indicate that the double-helix geometry and the intramolecular charge transfer play a significant role in achieving high dissymmetry factors.

Two distorted nanographenes combining helicenes and a fluoranthene unit within their polycyclic scaffolds were synthesized. Their structural and electronic properties were elucidated by various spectr...

Helicenes, chiral molecules with helical structures, are promising candidates for circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) materials. This review summarizes recent advances in red-to-NIR CPL-active he...

This review presents recent advances in the chemistry of expanded helicenes, defined as helicenes containing linearly fused benzene rings, as novel aromatic compounds. This review begins with a summa...

Chiral π-conjugated molecules hold great potential for applications in spin-selective organic semiconductors and chiroptical electronic devices that respond to circularly polarized light. Their perfor...

High quantum yields and dissymmetry factors are key to enhancing the chiroptical properties of [n]helicene-functionalized polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons for the development of circularly polarized materials. In a two-step synthesis, a C2-symmetric perylene-embedded double [5]helicene was obtained through Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling and base-catalyzed condensation. With a configurational stability of 23 kcal mol–1, the short-lived enantiomers were separated using chiral HPLC. Compared to pristine [5]helicene, the compound shows enhanced (chir)optical properties with a quantum yield of 0.7, a gabs of up to 8.8 × 10–3, and a glum of 0.7 × 10–3.

A fully π-conjugated helical system combining rigid [6]helicenes and a flexible o-OPE unit has been developed, yielding enantiopure emitters with up to three helical loops. The compounds display remar...

Chiral π-conjugated molecules hold great potential for applications in spin-selective organic semiconductors and chiroptical electronic devices that respond to circularly polarized light. Their perfor...