We investigate the presence of helical character and chirality using a vector-based charge density perspective instead of energetic or structural measures. The vector-based perspective of the chemical bonding, constructed using the most preferred direction of charge density accumulation, finds the presence of induced symmetry-breaking for α,ω-disubstituted [4]cumulenes as the end groups are torsioned. The stress tensor trajectories Tσ(s) are used to provide the additional symmetry-breaking required to quantify the degree and nature of the chirality and helical character. We find an absence of chirality for [4]cumulene but a very significant degree of axiality as demonstrated by the purely axial form of the Tσ(s) indicating a lack of helical character. The S-1,5-dimethyl-[4]cumulene contains a very low degree of chiral character but significant axiality(helicity) resulting in a weakly helical morphology of the corresponding Tσ(s). The (-)S(-), (+)S(-) and (+)S(+) conformations of S-1,5-diamino-[4]cumulene contain very significant degrees of both chirality and helical character resulting in helical morphology of the corresponding Tσ(s). The chirality assignments are in agreement with the Cahn–Ingold–Prelog (CIP) classifications for the (-)S(-), (+)S(-) and (+)S(+) conformations of S-1,5-diamino-[4]cumulene. We discuss the consequences for the Tσ(s) in locating chiral character in these molecules in future experiment investigations.

Within this study, four thermal ring-opening reactions, Reactions (1-4), were selected in order to investigate the phenomenon of torquoselectivity as well as predicting non-competitive or competitive reactions in QTAIM and stress tensor frameworks rather than using conventional methods. The theoretical analysis for these reactions exhibits differently for non-competitive and competitive reactions as well as for the conrotatory preferences either TSOC or TSIC directions by presenting degeneracy or non-degeneracy in their results. The concordant results of stress tensor and QTAIM scalar and vectors with experimental results provide a better understanding of all reactions mechanism. Examination the (rb), ε, H(rb), ℙσ, 3, BPL, and H indicate that Reaction 1 is a competitive and Reactions (2-4) are non-competitive reactions with TSOC, TSOC, and TSIC preference directions respectively.