Chiral Distorted Hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronenes Bearing a Nonagon-Embedded Carbohelicene

A new family of chiral saddle-helix hybrid nanographenes is reported. The first hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene (HBC) analogues bearing a nine-membered carbocycle are presented. Furthermore, for the first time, pi-extended carbo[n]helicenes containing a nine-membered ring as part of the helical moiety have been synthesized. The combination of a [5]helicene moiety and a nonagon ring in a single chiral motif induces a tremendous distortion from planarity into the nanographenic structures compared to other saddle-helix hybrids such as heptagon- and octagon-containing pi-extended carbo[5]helicenes. In fact, the interplanar angle of the two terminal rings reaches the largest angle (134.8 degrees) of a carbohelicene reported to date, thus being by far the most twisted helicene yet prepared. Photophysical properties evaluation showed improved absorption dissymmetry factors (|g(abs)|=4.2x10(-3)) in the new family of nonagon-containing pi-extended carbo[5]helicenes.