biphenylstyle

Biphenylstyle is a term used in chemistry and materials science to describe a design motif based on the biphenyl unit, two phenyl rings connected by a single interring bond. In this motif, the relative orientation of the rings is flexible; rotation about the biaryl bond yields dihedral angles that modulate electronic coupling and steric environment. The term is used to discuss how substituents and conformation influence properties in molecules, polymers, and materials containing biphenyl cores.

Structural features include a biphenyl core with rotation around the interring bond. Ortho-substituents or bulky groups can enforce nonplanarity, reducing π-conjugation, while smaller substituents permit greater planarity. The twist angle can also give rise to atropisomerism when rotation barriers are high, producing separable stereoisomers. Substitution patterns (ortho, meta, para) tune electronic, optical, and steric effects.

Synthesis and manipulation are typically achieved with standard biaryl-forming couplings, such as Suzuki–Miyaura and Ullmann reactions. Post-synthetic ortho-substitution and other strategies lock selected twist angles. Computational tools are often used to predict conformations and guide design for targeted properties.

Applications span organic electronics, including OLEDs and photovoltaics, where torsion affects charge transport and emission, as well as liquid-crystal engineering and sensing. Because biphenylstyle is not a standardized term, its precise meaning varies by source, but it broadly refers to how the biphenyl motif governs conformation and function.