Helically Chiral NHC-Gold(I) Complexes: Synthesis, Chiroptical Properties and Electronic Features of the [5]Helicene-Imidazolylidene Ligand

The golden twist: Monodentate [5]helicene-imidazolylidene gold(I) complexes were prepared in good yields and structurally characterized. Benefiting from the presence of the configurationally stable [5]helicenic unit, they exhibit appealing chiroptical features, such as strong circular dichroism, moderate circularly polarized phosphorescence and dual emission with phosphorescence lifetimes up to the millisecond range.