Book excerpt: Helicenes A thorough introduction to everything there is to know about this fascinating compound class The intriguing nature of this highly interesting compound class has inspired much research over the last decade, and much of what has been produced is highly interdisciplinary, with applications found in catalysis, material science, and spectroscopy. Indeed, the field has reached maturity such that elegant synthetic methods are now available and novel applications in arenas such as enantioselective catalysis and optoelectronics are appearing. Helicenes provides not only an introduction to the synthesis of the fascinating compound class of helicenes, but also describes the properties and, most importantly, their applications. The book thoroughly explains several synthetic routes from classical to state-of-the-art methods. In addition, the different classes of helicene-based molecules – organic, organometallic, oligo-meric, and multidimensional – are covered. Helicenes readers will also find: Edited by world-leading experts in the field of chirality A comprehensive and well-structured approach that deals with every aspect of this compound class Discussions of the applications of helicenes in organic synthesis, photophysics, material science, optoelectronic devices, on-surface chemistry, and theoretical calculations A special focus on the applications of helicenes in catalysis, optoelectronics, non-linear optics, and chiroptical spectroscopy Chapters focusing on helicenes as theoretical helically chiral models Helicenes is an essential reference for organic chemists, materials scientists, spectroscopists, polymer chemists, inorganic chemists, and catalytic chemists, as well as students in these fields and libraries supplying them.