Inducing Single-Handed Helicity in a Twisted Molecular Nanoribbon.

Molecular conformation has an important role in chemistry and materials science. Molecular nanoribbons can adopt chiral twisted helical conformations. However, the synthesis of single-handed helically twisted molecular nanoribbons still represents a considerable challenge. Herein, we describe an asymmetric approach to induce single-handed helicity with an excellent degree of conformational discrimination. The chiral induction is the result of the chiral strain generated by fusing two oversized chiral rings and of the propagation of that strain along the nanoribbon's backbone.