Axially Chiral peri-Xanthenoxanthenes as a Circularly Polarized Luminophore

A series of axially chiral peri-xanthenoxanthenes (PXXs) were synthesized from 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol without optical resolution. These are the first examples of chiral PXXs. Among them, PXX 5 with two naphthalene rings connected via a methylenedioxy bridge and a chiral axis displayed intense fluorescence (FL) and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) both in solution (ΦFL of 0.72 and |glum| of 1.4 × 10–3) and in the solid state (ΦFL of 0.13 and |glum| of 4.8 × 10–3). The bridged structure of PXX 5 adjusts the angle between the vectors of the electric and magnetic transition dipole moments, which is essential for showing intense CPL activity.