We report the synthesis of enantiomerically pure carbo[6]helicene oligomers with buta-1,3-diyne-1,4-diyl bridges between the helicene nuclei. The synthesis of monomeric (±)-2,15-bis[(triisopropylsilyl)ethynyl]carbo[6]helicene was achieved in 25 % yield over six steps. Pure (+)-(P)- and (-)-(M)-enantiomers were obtained by HPLC on a chiral stationary phase. The dimeric (+)-(P) - and (-)-(M) -configured and the tetrameric (+)-(P) - and (-)-(M) -configured oligomers were obtained by sequential oxidative acetylenic coupling. The ECD spectra of the tetrameric oligomers displayed large Cotton effect intensities of Δϵ=-851 m cm at λ=370 nm ((M) -enantiomer). We transformed the buta-1,3-diyne-1,4-diyl bridge in the dimeric (P) and (M) oligomer by heteroaromatization into a thiene-2,5-diyl linker. Although the resulting chromophore showed reduced ECD intensities, it exhibited a remarkably strong fluorescence emission at 450-500 nm, with an absolute quantum yield of 25 %.

The synthesis and chiroptical properties of a series of enantiomerically pure, C2‐symmetrical carbo[6]helicene dimers are reported. Two helicene cores are connected through a buta‐1,3‐diyne‐1,4‐diyl linker or a heteroaromatic bridge and bear arylethynyl substituents at their 15‐positions. This ensures the possibility of extended electronic communication throughout the whole molecule. The new chromophores exhibit intense ECD spectra with strong bands in the UV/Vis region well above 400 nm. The anisotropy factor gabs (defined as Δϵ/ϵ) reaches values up to 0.047, which are unusually large for single organic molecules. They also display blue fluorescence, with good quantum yields (Φf∼0.25). The emitted light is circularly polarized to an outstanding extent: in some cases, the luminescence dissymmetry factor glum=2(IL−IR)/(IL+IR) attains values of |0.025|. To the best of our knowledge, such values are among the highest ever reported for non‐aggregated organic fluorophores.

A process using an engineered phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) enzyme was developed as part of an alternative route to a key intermediate of olodanrigan (EMA401). In the first part of this report, the detailed results from a screening for the optimal reaction conditions are presented, followed by a discussion of several workup strategies investigated. In the PAL-catalyzed reaction, 70−80% conversion of a cinnamic acid derivative to the corresponding phenylalanine derivative could be achieved. The phenylalanine derivative was subsequently telescoped to a Pictet−Spengler reaction with formaldehyde, and the corresponding tetrahydroisoquinoline derivative was isolated in 60−70% yield with >99.9:0.1 er. On the basis of our screenings, carbonate/ carbamate-buffered ammonia at an NH 3 concentration of 9−10 M and pH 9.5−10.5 was found to be optimal. Enzyme loadings down to 2.5 wt % (E:S = 1:40 w/w) could be achieved, and substrate concentrations between 3−9 v/w (1.17−0.39 M) were found to be compatible with the reaction conditions. A temperature gradient was applied in the final process: a pre-equilibrium was established at 45 °C, before making use of the temperature dependence of the entropy term with subsequent cooling to 20 °C to achieve maximum conversion. This temperature gradient also allowed balancing of the enzyme stability (low at 45 °C, high at 20 °C) with the activity (high at 45 °C, low at 20 °C) in order to achieve optimal conversion (low at 45 °C, high at 20 °C). From the various workup operations investigated, a sequence consisting of denaturation of the enzyme, NH 3 /CO 2 removal by distillation, acidification, and telescoping to the subsequent Pictet−Spengler cyclization was our preferred approach. The process presented in this study is a more sustainable, shorter, and more cost-effective alternative to the previous process.

During route scouting for EMA401 (1), an angiotensin II type 2 antagonist, we identified the synthesis of key amino acid intermediate 2 via its cinnamic acid derivative 3 as a streamlined option. In general, cinnamic acids can be synthesized from the corresponding aldehydes by a Knoevenagel−Doebner condensation in pyridine with piperidine as an organocatalyst. We aimed to replace both of these reagents and found novel conditions involving toluene as the solvent and morpholine as the organocatalyst. Scale-up of the process allowed the production of 25 kg of cinnamic acid 3 that was of the quality required for process development of the subsequent phenylalanine ammonia lyase-catalyzed step. The modified conditions were found to be widely applicable to alternative aldehydes and thus are of relevance to practitioners of chemical scale-up.

Unprecedented high molar circular dichroism values for all‐carbon macrocycles were revealed in 1,3‐butadiyne bridged pseudo‐meta‐[2.2]paracyclophanes. The angle and flexibility of the pseudo‐meta substituents enabled high yielding macrocyclization reactions, and the studied trimeric, tetrameric, pentameric and hexameric structures further displayed astonishing through‐space polymer‐like conjugation lengths. More information can be found in the Research Article by M. Mayor et al. (DOI: 10.1002/chem.202201764).