Saucer[n]arenes: Synthesis, Structure, Complexation, and Guest‐Induced Circularly Polarized Luminescence Property

Macrocycles denoted as saucer[n]arenes (n=4,5) were easily synthesized by the one‐pot condensation of 2,7‐dimethoxynaphthalene (2,7‐DMN) and paraformaldehyde in the presence of TFA or catalytic BF3⋅OEt2. With 1,1‐dimethylpiperidin‐1‐ium as the template, saucer[4]arene was selectively obtained. Crystal structures show that saucer[n]arenes are all composed of 2,7‐DMN moiety bridged by the methylene groups at 1,6‐positions: all of the 7‐methoxy groups lie on one face, and all of the 2‐methoxy groups lie on the other. Saucer[n]arenes exhibit strong fluorescence properties with the quantum yields of 19.6 % and 23.4 %. They form 1:1 complexes with ammonium salts in both solution and solid state (association constant up to 105 M−1 in CDCl3). Chiral quaternary ammonium salts can induce the chirality of the dynamically racemic inherently chiral saucer[n]arenes in solution, and thus show mirror‐imaged circular dichroism signals and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) properties. Starting from 2,7‐dimethoxynaphthalene, a new kind of macrocyclic arenes named saucer[n]arenes (n=4,5) are synthesized by one‐pot and templated methods. Saucer[n]arenes show strong fluorescence properties and form 1:1 complexes with various ammonium salts. Moreover, the chiral guests can induce the chirality of dynamically racemic saucer[n]arenes in the host–guest systems, which provides a new way to construct CPL organic materials.