Assembling Screws: Large Preference for the Homochiral Combination in the Proton-Bound Dimers of 1-Aza[6]helicene in the Gas Phase

Abstract

By means of selective deuterium labeling combined with separation of enantiomers, chiral discrimination in the proton-bound dimers of 1-aza[6]helicene is probed by electrospray mass spectrometry. The analysis of the results reveals a pronounced preference for the formation of homochiral dimers (P,P and M,M) over the heterochiral variant (P,M).

Keywords

• azahelicenes
• chiral discrimination
• density functional theory