The aim of my PhD Thesis was to explore the potential of helically chiral N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands in asymmetric catalysis. Helicenes and helicene-like molecules are inherently chiral. Their application in this field has been rather limited. To date, only a few examples of enantiopure helically chiral NHCs have been described in the literature. Using a well-established method based on the diastereoselective metal catalysed [2+2+2] cycloisomerisation of centrally chiral triynes as the key step, I have synthesised a series of optically pure 2H-pyran based penta- and hexahelicenes bearing an amino group on the terminal benzene ring. The triynes were prepared by a sequence of Sonogashira and Mitsunobu coupling reactions using the commercially available (S)-but-3-yn-2-ol as the source of chirality. The resulting aminooxa[5]- and aminooxa[6]helicenes were then converted into the corresponding 1,3-disubstituted imidazolium salts, from which, upon deprotonation, the helically chiral N- heterocyclic carbenes were generated. To evaluate the performance of the new helically chiral ligands, the enantioselective Ni0 - catalysed [2+2+2] intramolecular cycloisomerisation of prochiral triynes to nonracemic dibenzohelicenes was chosen as a model reaction. All the synthesised imidazolium salts provided,...