Chiral coronene diimide assemblies with strong chiroptical properties in solution and thin-films

The self-assembly of chiral organic dyes provides an effective route to strongly chiral optical materials. Herein, we report a novel coronene diimide derivative with point-chiral imide groups derived from l/d-valinol. This chiral chromophore shows solvent-dependent aggregation and readily self-assembles via π-stacking into strongly chiroptically active materials, effectively translating point chirality into supramolecular chirality in the assembly. These properties are retained in the solid state, with thin films of these molecules showing strong circular dichroism (CD) and circularly polarised luminescence (CPL), realising easily accessible point chirality as a structural element for chiroptical materials.