Chirality of symmetrically substituted biphenyl
No, the biphenyl above is not chiral.
2,2′,6,6′-tetrasubstituted biphenyls are nonplanar at room temperature in order to avoid steric clashes between the substituents. This can in general give rise to chirality depending on the substituents, such as in this example.

However, this chirality is only true under certain conditions, namely:

The substituent groups must be sufficiently bulky in order to prevent rotation about the C–C single bond that connects the two rings. If this rotation occurs freely, then the two enantiomers will be able to interconvert, and chirality will not be observed (under typical conditions)

Both pairs of substituents on the phenyl rings must be non-identical; otherwise, the molecule will possess a plane of symmetry, rendering it achiral even if rotation about the C–C bond is restricted.


Here, since the two pairs of substituents on both rings are the same (i.e. two methyl groups on one ring, and two nitro groups on the other), the second criterion is not fulfilled. As a result, the molecule is not chiral.