Synthesis and characterization of a functionalized chiral biaryl capable of exhibiting unidirectional bond rotation

A class of chiral biaryl molecules that have been designed to undergo unidirectional rotation about the aryl–aryl bond may show promise for future application in the area of synthetic molecular motors. These asymmetric molecules should be capable of channeling chemical energy into repeated 360° rotation in one direction. Herein we report the synthesis and characterization of one such biaryl molecule (1).