Atroposelective Construction of Axially Chiral Tetraarylethenes Via NHC‐Catalyzed Desymmetrization

Advanced Science 2026 Open access

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Authors: Yang-Ze Zheng, Ting-Rui Luan, Ming-Hao Song, Zhaofeng Sun, Chuan‐Jun Lu, Long-Long Xi, Renrong Liu
DOI: 10.1002/advs.75488
Cited by: 1
References: 66

Abstract

We report the first NHC-catalyzed atroposelective synthesis of axially chiral tetraarylethenes (TAEs) via oxidative desymmetrization of prochiral TAE dialdehydes. This catalytic strategy operates under mild conditions and accommodates a broad range of phenolic and nitrogen nucleophiles, delivering diverse axially chiral TAEs in good yields and up to 99% ee. The method features excellent functional-group tolerance, enables late-stage modification of complex natural products and pharmaceuticals, and is readily scalable. Furthermore, the resulting axially chiral TAEs display distinct photophysical behavior, pronounced aggregation-induced emission (AIE), and strong circularly polarized luminescence (CPL). This work establishes a general and efficient platform for constructing functional chiral TAEs with promising optoelectronic potential.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Axial and Atropisomeric Chirality Synthesis Synthesis and Properties of Aromatic Compounds N-Heterocyclic Carbenes in Organic and Inorganic Chemistry

Publication details

Journal / source
Advanced Science
Publisher
Wiley
Volume
13
Issue
41
Pages
e75488–e75488
Publication date
30 April 2026
Language
EN