Switching of Macromolecular Helicity of Optically Active Poly(phenylacetylene)s Bearing Cyclodextrin Pendants Induced by Various External Stimuli

Planar-chiral pillar[5]arene: chiral switches induced by multiexternal stimulus of temperature, solvents, and addition of achiral guest molecule

We synthesized chiral-substituents modified pillar[5]arene for the first time. The chiral-substituents modified pillar[5]arene showed planar chirality and interconversion between (pS) and (pR) forms took place quickly. The planar chirality was switched by temperature, solvents, and addition of achiral guest. As the measurement temperature increased, the diastereomeric excess was decreased. The diastereomeric excesses were high in low-permittivity solvents, while a low diastereomeric excess was observed in high-permittivity solvents. Addition of achiral guest induced an increase of negative CD intensities.

Light-driven reversible handedness inversion in self-organized helical superstructures

We report here a fast-photon-mode reversible handedness inversion of a self-organized helical superstructure (i.e., a cholesteric liquid crystal phase) using photoisomerizable chiral cyclic dopants. The two light-driven cyclic azobenzenophanes with axial chirality show photochemically reversible trans to cis isomerization in solution without undergoing thermal or photoinduced racemization. As chiral inducing agents, they exhibit good solubility, high helical twisting power, and a large change in helical twisting power due to photoisomerization in three commercially available, structurally different achiral liquid crystal hosts. Therefore, we were able to reversibly tune the reflection colors from blue to near-IR by light irradiation from the induced helical superstructure. More interestingly, the different switching states of the two chiral cyclic dopants were found to be able to induce a helical superstructure of opposite handedness. In order to unambiguously determine the helical switching, we employed a new method that allowed us to directly determine the handedness of the long-pitched self-organized cholesteric phase.

Chemically responsive supramolecular assemblies of pyrene-beta-cyclodextrin dimer

We report supramolecular assemblies of a beta-cyclodextrin dimer linked at both ends of a fluorescent phenylethynylpyrene moiety (Py-beta-CD dimer). The Py-beta-CD dimer formed supramolecular associations in aqueous media due to the pi-pi stacking of the hydrophobic phenylethynylpyrene moiety. From tapping mode atomic force microscopy measurements, the Py-beta-CD dimer formed wire-shaped assemblies in aqueous media. By adding sodium adamantane carboxylate to the supramolecular assemblies, the structural change to J-type assemblies was observed. In contrast, upon addition of the electron-deficient guest, the electron transfer from the electron rich phenylethynylpyrene moiety of the supramolecular assemblies to the electron-deficient guest took place.

Polymers with Sugar Buckets - The Attachment of Cyclodextrins onto Polymer Chains

This Review summarizes the structures obtained when marrying synthetic polymers of varying architectures with cyclodextrins. Polymers with cyclodextrin pendant groups were obtained by directly polymerizing cyclodextrin-based monomers or by postmodification of reactive polymers with cyclodextrins. Star polymers with cyclodextrin as the core with up to 21 arms were usually obtained by using modified cyclodextrins as initiator or controlling agent. Limited reports are available on the synthesis of star polymers by arm-first techniques, which all employed azide-functionalized cyclodextrin and ‘click’ chemistry to attach seven polymer arms to the cyclodextrin core. Polymer chains with one or two cyclodextrin terminal units were reported as well as star polymers carrying a cyclodextrin molecule at the end of each arm. Cyclodextrin polymers were obtained using different polymerization techniques ranging from atom transfer radical polymerization, reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization, nitroxide-mediated polymerization, free radical polymerization to (ionic) ring-opening polymerization, and polycondensation. Cyclodextrin polymers touch all areas of polymer science from gene delivery, self-assembled structures, drug carriers, molecular sensors, hydrogels, and liquid crystalline polymers. This Review attempts to focus on the range of work conducted with polymers and cyclodextrins and highlights some of the key areas where these macromolecules have been applied.

Dendritic molecular switch: chiral folding and helicity inversion

Appropriately designed chemical architectures can fold to adopt well-defined secondary structures without the need for structural motifs of biological origin. We have designed tris(N-salicylideneaniline)-based hyperbranched molecules that spontaneously collapse to compact three-blade propeller geometry of either (P)- or (M)-handedness. For a homologous series of compounds, a direct correlation was established between the absolute screw sense, either (P)- or (M)-, of this helical folding and the absolute configuration, either (R)- or (S)-, of the chiral alcohol groups introducing local asymmetric bias to the conformationally restricted molecular backbone. 1H NMR and CD spectroscopic studies provided significant insights into structural folding and unfolding of these chiral molecules in solution, which proceed via reversible assembly and disassembly of the C3-symmetric hydrogen-bonding network. Notably, solvents profoundly influenced this dynamic process. A strong correlation between the solvent donor number (DN) or solvent basicity (SB) parameters and the change in the Cotton effects pointed toward specific O-H...solvent interactions that drive structural unfolding and eventual refolding to apparently opposite helicity. This unusual chirality inversion process could also be induced by installation of chemical protecting groups that simulate specific solvent-solute interactions. Removal of this covalent mimic of the solvent shell restored the original screw sense of the parent molecule, thus establishing the feasibility of covalently triggered helicity inversion as a new mode of operation for chiroptical molecular switches.

Helical lanthanide(III) complexes with chiral nonaaza macrocycle

The chiral nonaazamacrocyclic amine L, which is a reduction product of the 3 + 3 Schiff base macrocycle, wraps around the lanthanide(III) ions to form enantiopure helical complexes. These Ce(III), Pr(III), Nd(III), Eu(III), Gd(III), Tb(III), Er(III), Yb(III) and Lu(III) complexes have been isolated in enantiopure form and have been characterized by spectroscopic methods. X-ray crystal structures of the Ln(III) complexes with L show that the thermodynamic product of the complexation of the RRRRRR-isomer of the macrocycle is the (M)-helical complex in the case of Ce(III), Pr(III), Nd(III) and Eu(III). In contrast, the (P)-helical complex is the thermodynamic product in the case of Yb(III) and Lu(III). The NMR and CD spectra show that the (M)-helicity for the kinetic complexation product of the RRRRRR-isomer of the macrocycle is preferred for all investigated lanthanide(III) ions, while the preferred helicity of the thermodynamic product is (M) for the early lanthanide(III) ions and (P) for the late lanthanide(III) ions. In the case of the late lanthanide(III) ions, a slow inversion of helicity between the kinetic (M)-helical product and the thermodynamic (P)-helical product is observed in solution. For Er(III), Yb(III) and Lu(III) both forms have been isolated in pure form and characterized by NMR and CD. The analysis of 2D NMR spectra of the Lu(III) complex reveals the NOE correlations that prove that the helical structure is retained in solution. The NMR spectra also reveal large isotopic effect on the 1H NMR shifts of paramagnetic Ln(III) complexes, related to NH/ND exchange. Photophysical measurements show that L(RRRRRR) appears to favor an efficient 3pipi*-to-Ln energy transfer process taking place for Eu(III) and Tb(III), but these Eu(III)- and Tb(III)-containing complexes with L(RRRRRR) lead to small luminescent quantum yields due to an incomplete intersystem crossing (isc) transfer, a weak efficiency of the luminescence sensitization by the ligand, and/or efficient nonradiative deactivation processes. Circularly polarized luminescence on the MeOH solutions of Eu(III) and Tb(III) complexes confirms the presence of stable chiral emitting species and the observation of almost perfect mirror-image CPL spectra for these compounds with both enantiomeric forms of L.

Chemical Sensors Based on Cyclodextrin Derivatives

This review focuses on chemical sensors based on cyclodextrin (CD) derivatives. This has been a field of classical interest, and is now of current interest for numerous scientists. First, typical chemical sensors using chromophore appended CDs are mentioned. Various "turn-off" and "turn-on" fluorescent chemical sensors, in which fluorescence intensity was decreased or increased by complexation with guest molecules, respectively, were synthesized. Dye modified CDs and photoactive metal ion-ligand complex appended CDs, metallocyclodextrins, were also applied for chemical sensors. Furthermore, recent novel approaches to chemical sensing systems using supramolecular structures such as CD dimers, trimers and cooperative binding systems of CDs with the other macrocycle [2]rotaxane and supramolecular polymers consisting of CD units are mentioned. New chemical sensors using hybrids of CDs with p-conjugated polymers, peptides, DNA, nanocarbons and nanoparticles are also described in this review.

Helicity induction and memory of the macromolecular helicity in a polyacetylene bearing a biphenyl pendant

A novel, cis-transoidal poly-(phenylacetylene) bearing a carboxybiphenyl group as the pendant (poly-1) was prepared by polymerization of (4'-ethoxycarbonyl-4-biphenylyl)acetylene with a rhodium catalyst followed by hydrolysis of the ester groups. Upon complexation with various chiral amines and amino alcohols in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), the polymer exhibited characteristic induced circular dichroism (ICD) in the UV/Vis region due to the predominantly one-handed helix formation of the polymer backbone as well as an excess of a single-handed, axially twisted conformation of the pendant biphenyl group. Poly-1 complexed with (R)-2-amino-1-propanol showed unique time-dependent inversion of the macromolecular helicity. Furthermore, the preferred-handed helical conformation of poly-1 induced by a chiral amine was further "memorized" after the chiral amine was replaced with achiral 2-aminoethanol or n-butylamine in DMSO. In sharp contrast to the previously reported memory in poly((4-carboxyphenyl)acetylene), the present helicity memory of poly-1 was accompanied by memory of the twisted biphenyl chirality in the pendants. Unprecedentedly, the helicity memory of poly-1 with achiral 2-aminoethanol was found to occur simultaneously with inversion of the axial chirality of the biphenyl groups followed by memory of the inverted biphenyl chirality, thus showing a significant change in the CD spectral pattern.

Control of dynamic helicity at the macro- and supramolecular level

In this review, various systems developed in recent years which aim to control dynamic helicity at the macro- and supramolecular level are discussed. The strong interactions between the individual molecular components in these controlled helical assemblies, ranging from columnar aggregates to helical polymers and cholesteric liquid crystals, result in stereoinduction from the molecular level to the level of these macro- and supramolecular helical architectures. Therefore these systems are potentially useful for various applications, including responsive materials and chirality sensors and amplifiers.

Supramolecular Helical Columns from the Self-Assembly of Chiral Rods

Chiral-bridged rod molecules (CBRs) that consisted of bis(penta-p-phenylene) conjugated to an opened or closed chiral bridging group as a rigid segment and oligoether dendrons as flexible segments were synthesized and characterized. In the bulk state, both molecules self-assemble into a hexagonal columnar structure, as confirmed by X-ray scatterings and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations. Interestingly, these structures display opposite Cotton effects in the chromophore of the aromatic unit in spite of the same chirality (R,R) of the chiral bridging groups. The molecules were observed to self-assemble into cylindrical micellar aggregates in aqueous solution, as confirmed by light scattering and TEM investigations, and exhibit intense signals in the circular dichroism (CD) spectra, which are indicative of one-handed helical conformations. The CD spectra of each molecule showed opposite signals to each other, which were similar to those in the bulk. Notably, when the opened CBR was added to a solution of closed CBRs up to a certain concentration, the CD signal of the closed CBR was amplified. This implies that both molecules co-assemble into a one-handed helical structure because the opened chiral bridge is conformationally flexible, which is inverted to co-assemble with the closed CBR. These results demonstrate that small structural modifications of the chiral moiety can transfer the chiral information to a supramolecular assembly in the opposite way.

Synthesis and chiroptical properties of a helical poly(phenylacetylene) bearing optically active pyrene pendants

A novel poly(phenylacetylene) derivative bearing optically active pyrene moieties as the pendant groups (poly-(R)-1) was prepared by the polymerization of the corresponding monomer (R)-1 in the presence of a rhodium catalyst, and its chiroptical property was investigated. Poly-(R)-1 exhibited an induced circular dichroism (ICD) in the polymer backbone region due to the predominantly one-handed helical conformation. The ICD pattern dramatically changed and was accompanied by inversion of the Cotton effect sign in response to a change in the temperature and solvent, indicating that poly-(R)-1 underwent a helix-helix transition in response to the external stimuli.

Temperature-induced chiroptical changes in a helical poly(phenylacetylene) bearing N,N-diisopropylaminomethyl groups with chiral acids in water

A stereoregular poly(phenylacetylene) bearing an N,N-diisopropylaminomethyl group as the pendant (poly-1) changed its structure into the prevailing one-handed helical conformation upon complexation with optically active acids in water. The complexes exhibited induced circular dichroism (ICD) in the UV/Vis region of the polymer backbone. Poly-1 is highly sensitive to the chirality of chiral acids and can detect a small enantiomeric imbalance in these acids, in particular, phenyl lactic acid in water. For example, a 0.005% enantiomeric excess of phenyl lactic acid can be detected by CD spectroscopy. The observed ICD intensity and pattern of poly-1 were dependent on the temperature and concentration of poly-1, probably due to aggregations of the polymer at high temperature as revealed by dynamic light scattering and AFM. On the basis of the temperature-dependent ICD changes, the preferred chiral helical sense of poly-1 was found to be controlled by noncovalent bonding interactions by using structurally different enantiomeric acids.

Mechanical control of enantioselectivity of amino acid recognition by cholesterol-armed cyclen monolayer at the air-water interface

Monolayers of the cholesterol-armed cyclen Na+ complex at the air-water interface display a remarkable, surface pressure dependent enantioselectivity of amino acid recognition. Upon compression of the monolayer, the binding constants of amino acids increase accompanying an inversion of chiral selectivity from the d- to l-form in the case of valine.

Macromolecular helicity inversion of an optically active helical poly(phenylacetylene) by chemical modification of the side groups

An optically active helical poly(phenylacetylene) was synthesized by the copolymerization of phenylacetylenes bearing optically active hydroxy or ester groups obtained by the kinetic resolution of a racemic phenylacetylene with lipase; the helix-sense was inverted from one helix to another by the further chemical modification of the hydroxy groups with achiral bulky isocyanates or an acid chloride.

Cyclodextrin-grafted poly(phenylene ethynylene) with chemically-responsive properties

Water-soluble poly(phenylene ethynylene) carrying beta-cyclodextrin was prepared; the polymer exhibited a fluorescence color change or quenching, depending on the kind of guest.