Equatorenes: synthesis and properties of chiral naphthalene, phenanthrene, chrysene, and pyrene possessing bis(1-adamantyl) groups at the peri-position.

Chiral polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons containing bis(1-adamantyl) groups at the peri-positions, named equatorenes, were synthesized in optically pure form starting from optically pure 4,5-bis(1-adamantyl)-8-methoxy-1-naphthol. A sequential Diels-Alder reaction of furan and arynes generated from 1,2-bromotriflates provided tricyclic and tetracyclic epoxides, and acid-catalyzed aromatization gave phenanthrol and chrysenol. Deoxygenation reactions involving the hydrogenolysis of triflates gave 1,8-bis(1-adamantyl)naphthalene, 1,10-bis(1-adamantyl)phenanthrene, and 1,12-bis(1-adamantyl)chrysene.

Two types of two-component gels formed from pseudoenantiomeric ethynylhelicene oligomers.

Two-component gels formed from pseudoenantiomeric ethynylhelicene oligomers in toluene exhibited two different properties depending on difference in numbers of helicenes in the two components. The combinations (M)-5/(P)-4, (M)-6/(P)-4, and (M)-7/(P)-4, which contained oligomers with comparable numbers of helicenes, formed transparent gels (Type I gels). The combinations (M)-6/(P)-3, (M)-7/(P)-3, and (M)-8/(P)-3, which contained oligomers with considerably different numbers of helicenes, formed turbid gels (Type II gels).