Triple helicate constructed by covalent bondings: crystal structure and effective synthesis based on propeller-like substructures.

A triple helicate, having a macrocyclic aromatic amide structure, was synthesized in high yield because of a preorganized component of the tertiary benzenetrianilide moieties in a propeller-like syn conformation at both ends. The helicity was derived from tilted T-shaped aromatic-aromatic (CH-pi) interactions between each of the N-phenyl rings. [structure: see text]