The or
ganic
glass-formin
g materials 1,3-bis(1-naphthyl)-5-(2-naphthyl)benzene (
2) and itspartially deuterated analo
gue, 1,3-bis(1-naphthyl-
d7)-5-(2-naphthyl)benzene (
2-
d14), have been synthesized on a
gram scale usin
g Suzuki couplin
g reactions. Detailed spectroscopic studies afford complete NMR assi
gnments (
1H,
2H,
13C) for both compounds. Modest ener
gy barriers for the interconversionof atropisomers (ca. 15 kcal/mol) result in a propensity for these materials to form supercooledliquids and
glasses, rather than under
goin
g crystallization. The preparation of these materialsenables detailed studies of physical properties of or
ganic
glasses and molecular diffusion in condensedphases.