Innenrücktitelbild: Electronic Control of the Scholl Reaction: Selective Synthesis of Spiro vs Helical Nanographenes (Angew. Chem. 7/2023)

Different electronic effects in the starting anthracene-containing polyphenylene substrate (bottom) afford two different nanographenes under Scholl reaction conditions, namely spironanographenes (R=H) on the left and a helically arranged molecular nanographene having two orthogonal aromatic moieties linked by an octafluoroanthracene core (R=F) on the right. The different stabilities of the intermediate trityl cations and the concomitant gain of aromaticity decide the fate of the reaction, as explained by Israel Fernández, Nazario Martín, and co-workers in their Research Article (e202215655).