The added value of small-molecule chirality in technological applications

Abstract

Chirality is a fundamental symmetry property; chiral objects, such as chiral small molecules, exist as a pair of non-superimposable mirror images. Although small-molecule chirality is routinely considered in biologically focused application areas (such as drug discovery and chemical biology), other areas of scientific development have not considered small-molecule chirality to be central to their approach. In this Review, we highlight recent research in which chirality has enabled advancement in technological applications. We showcase examples in which the presence of small-molecule chirality is exploited in ways beyond the simple interaction of two different chiral molecules; this can enable the detection and emission of chiral light, help to control molecular motion, or provide a means to control electron spin and bulk charge transport. Thus, we demonstrate that small-molecule chirality is a highly promising avenue for a wide range of technologically oriented scientific endeavours

Molecular Semiconductors for Logic Operations: Dead‐End or Bright Future?

“…Although chirality is textbook concept in synthetic chemistry, few chiral organic semiconductors have been reported so far, in contrast of chiral conjugated polymers and chiral organic conductors that have received more attention . There are essentially two types of molecular structures, either the π‐systems are chiral and depart from planarity or chiral side‐groups are attached to a flat conjugated core .…”

Outstanding Chiroptical Features of Thin Films of Chiral Oligothiophenes

“…Chirality in organic optoelectronic devices is a topic that is rapidly gaining interest . There is at least a two‐fold interest: in the first place it can constitute a means to drive and control the supramolecular order of π‐conjugated molecules constituting the active layers of the devices, and secondly it opens the way to highly specialized applications, such as producing (CP‐OLED), or detecting (CP‐OFET) circularly polarized (CP) light or specifically responding to analyte enantiomers in analytical sensors .…”

Helicenes Grafted with 1,1,4,4‐Tetracyanobutadiene Moieties: π‐Helical Push–Pull Systems with Strong Electronic Circular Dichroism and Two‐Photon Absorption

“…Designing chiral molecular materials with strong chiroptical properties has attracted considerable attention in the last decades due to their specific interactions with polarized light . Indeed, the possibility of tuning optical rotation (OR), electronic circular dichroism (ECD), and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) is especially appealing, since it may find applications in different fields of science, such as information transport and storage, optical displays, logic gates, and biology . In this regard, [ n ]helicene derivatives have emerged as ideal molecular candidates because of their peculiar chiral π‐conjugated helical structure, which endows them with high racemization barriers (especially for n ≥6), large‐magnitude OR, and intense ECD and CPL signatures .…”