Self‐Assembly and Two‐Dimensional Spontaneous Resolution of Cyano‐Functionalized [7]Helicenes on Cu(111)

Abstract

Birds of a feather flock together: STM and DFT studies provide the first example of spontaneous chiral resolution of a helicene on a surface. Racemic 6,13-dicyano[7]helicene forms fully segregated domains of pure enantiomers (2D conglomerate) on Cu(111). The propensity of the system to optimize intermolecular CN⋅⋅⋅HC(Ar) hydrogen bonding and CN⋅⋅⋅CN dipolar interactions translates into chiral recognition with preferential assembly of homochiral molecules.