2025/10/16 by Arnau Rodríguez-Rubio, He Zhu, Ka Man Cheung +12 · 1 voice
Materials Science · Engineering · #Porphyrin and Phthalocyanine Chemistry #Surface Chemistry and Catalysis #Molecular Junctions and Nanostructures
paper · doi:10.1126/science.adz8900
openalex publication_date 2025/10/16 · openalex created_date 2025/10/18 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Molecular nanobelts are fascinating analogs of carbon nanotubes. Their rigid geometries and strongly coupled π-electrons have the potential to generate a wave function resembling that of a quantum ring. Here, we report the synthesis of triple stranded nanobelts consisting of 8 to 12 edge-fused porphyrin units with diameters of 21 to 32 angstroms. We synthesized these nanobelts by nickel-mediated coupling of meso -bromoporphyrins to form singly linked nanorings, followed by oxidation with gold(III) chloride. Experimental 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, supported by computational simulations, revealed that belts containing odd numbers of porphyrins, with circuits of 90 or 110 π-electrons, display global aromatic ring currents, whereas even-numbered belts, with 80, 100, or 120 π-electrons, are globally antiaromatic.