π-Helicenes truncated to a minimum: access through a domino approach involving multiple carbopalladations and a Stille coupling.

A novel type of π-helicenes is reported, in which the π-system is truncated to an all-s-cis all-Z oligoene chain. A domino sequence was developed, consisting of up to four consecutive carbopalladation reactions and a terminal Stille cross-coupling, to generate these entities in one step from the respective linear oligoynes. Despite the minimal π-system, very high optical rotation values were encountered for the single enantiomers. X-ray crystallography confirmed their screw-shaped structure.