Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol.134, No.38, 15628-15631, 2012
Ruthenium-Vinylhelicenes: Remote Metal-Based Enhancement and Redox Switching of the Chiroptical Properties of a Helicene Core
Introducing metal-vinyl ruthenium moieties onto [6]helicene results in a significant enhancement of the chiroptical properties due to strong metal-ligand electronic interactions. The electro-active Ru centers allow the achievement of the first purely helicene-based redox-triggered chiroptical switches. A combination of electrochemical, spectroscopic, and theoretical techniques reveals that the helicene moiety is a noninnocent ligand bearing a significant spin density.