Metal-mediated reactions for the heteroaryl-heteroaryl bond formation: non photochemical synthesis of thiahelicenes

Tetrathia[7]helicenes (7-TH), are chiral helical-shaped polyaromatic systems containing four thiophene and three benzene rings. They exhibit peculiar electronic and chiroptical properties suitable for applications in optoelectronics [1], biology [2], and catalysis [3]. For these reasons they are emerging as one of the most popular class of chiral helical-shaped molecules. We are deeply involved in the development of these molecules, with a particular focus on innovative synthesis of the helical scaffold through metal-mediated cross-coupling reactions. In this presentation, our recent studies on the synthesis of 7-TH derivatives using cross-coupling reactions at different stages of the synthetic sequence will be illustrated. The most recent results are reported in the scheme below.