Extended enantiopure ortho-phenylene ethylene (o-OPE)-based helical systems as scaffolds for supramolecular architectures: a study of chiroptical response and its connection to the CISS effect

Versatile enantiopure helical systems are described and are of interest owing to their intense chiroptical responses, their attractive architecture for metallosupramolecular chemistry and CISS effect.

The Diverse World of Foldamers: Endless Possibilities of Self-Assembly

Different classes of foldamers, which are synthetic oligomers that adopt well-defined conformations in solution, have been the subject of extensive studies devoted to the elucidation of the forces driving their secondary structures and their potential as bioactive molecules. Regardless of the backbone type (peptidic or abiotic), the most important features of foldamers are the high stability, easy predictability and tunability of their folding, as well as the possibility to endow them with enhanced biological functions, with respect to their natural counterparts, by the correct choice of monomers. Foldamers have also recently started playing a starring role in the self-assembly of higher-order structures. In this review, selected articles will be analyzed to show the striking number of self-assemblies obtained for foldamers with different backbones, which will be analyzed in order of increasing complexity. Starting from the simplest self-associations in solution (e.g., dimers of β-strands or helices, bundles, interpenetrating double and multiple helices), the formation of monolayers, vesicles, fibers, and eventually nanostructured solid tridimensional morphologies will be subsequently described. The experimental techniques used in the structural investigation, and in the determination of the driving forces and mechanisms underlying the self-assemblies, will be systematically reported. Where applicable, examples of biomimetic self-assembled foldamers and their interactions with biological components will be described.

Optically active Ag(i): o-OPE helicates using a single homochiral sulfoxide as chiral inducer

In this work we describe the ability of a simple enantiopure sulfoxide group to promote folding of oligo ortho-phenylene ethynylenes (o-OPEs) with one helical sense. A family of foldamers with up to seven triple bonds was synthesized and fully characterized. Moreover, changes in structure and chiroptical properties caused by Ag(i) coordination have been studied by NMR, UV, VCD and ECD measurements. Quantum mechanical DFT calculations support experimental results.

Two-dimensional supramolecular crystal engineering: chirality manipulation

Two dimensional (2D) supramolecular crystal engineering, one of the most important strategies towards nanotechnology, is both a science and an industry. In the present review, the recent advances in 2D supramolecular crystal engineering through chirality manipulation on solid surfaces are summarized, with the aid of the scanning tunneling microscopy technique. On-surface chirality manipulation includes surface confined structural chirality formation, chirality transformation, chirality separation as well as chirality elimination, by using component exchange and different external stimuli. Under this principle, host-guest supramolecular interactions, solvent induction, temperature regulation and STM-tip driven orientation control and reorientation effects under equilibrium or out-of-equilibrium conditions, towards the generation of the best-adapted chiral or achiral 2D nanostructures, are mainly described and highlighted. Future challenges and opportunities in this exciting area are also then discussed.

Complexity of two-dimensional self-assembled arrays at surfaces

The developing field of complexity in self-assembled systems on surfaces is discussed.

Concentration-dependent structure and structural transition from chirality to nonchirality at the liquid-solid interface by coassembly

Understanding the formation and structural transition of the two-dimensional chirality of self-assembly is a subject which still gains significant interest in surface or interface chirality studies. Here, we present the solvent-induced chiral structural transition of a 2-hydroxy-7-pentadecyloxy-9-fluorenone (HPF) molecules' self-assembled adlayer through coassembly with achiral aliphatic solvents under different concentrations. Polymorphic chiral patterns are obtained at low concentrations of aliphatic solvents with different chain lengths. The HPF molecules form coassembled structures with these solvents through van der Waals interactions. At the same time, at high concentrations, HPF molecules uniformly form a nonchiral multimer structure without coadsorbed aliphatic solvent molecules. What is interesting is that these structures under different concentrations will finally change into a zigzag structure, which is the thermodynamically most stable configuration. Especially when using n-hexadecane as the solvent, the adlayer shows perfect steric matching due to the close chain length of HPF and n-hexadecane, which can maximize the molecule-solvent interactions. Thus, HPF molecules in n-hexadecane exhibit the most diversiform configuration. The distinct concentration-dependence has proven that the solvent molecules can act as a coadsorbed component through van der Waals interactions rather than simply a dispersant and further result in the probability and stability of chiral self-assembled monolayers by subtle tuning of the solvent-molecule and solvent-substrate interactions. This result provides a simple and alternative strategy to construct the 2D chiral assembled monolayer.

Concentration-Controlled Reversible Phase Transitions in Self-Assembled Monolayers on HOPG Surfaces

Rational control of molecular ordering on surfaces and interfaces is vital in supramolecular chemistry and nanoscience. Here, a systematic scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) study for controlling the self-assembly behavior of alkoxylated benzene (B-OC(n)) molecules on a HOPG surface is presented. Three different phases have been observed and, of great importance, they can transform to each other by modifying the solute concentration. Further studies, particularly in situ diluting and concentrating experiments, demonstrate that the transitions among the three phases are highly controllable and reversible, and are driven thermodynamically. In addition, it is found that concentration-controlled reversible phase transitions are general for different chain lengths of B-OC(n) molecules. Such controllable and reversible phase transitions may have potential applications in the building of desirable functional organic thin films and provide a new understanding in thermodynamically driven self-assembly of organic molecules on surfaces and interfaces.

Polymerization or cyclic dimerization: solvent dependent homo-coupling of terminal alkynes at HOPG surface

Surface reactivity has become one of the most important issues in surface chemistry over the past few years. In this work, we, for the first time, have investigated the homo-coupling of a special terminal alkyne derivative on the highly oriented pyrolitic graphite (HOPG) surface. Using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) technique, we have found that such coupling reaction seriously depends on the supramolecular assembly of the monomer on the studied substrate, whereas the latter appears an obvious solvent effect. As a result, the reaction in our system undergoes polymerization and cyclic dimerization process in 1-phenyloctane and 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, respectively. That is to say, the solvent effect can be extended from the two-dimensional (2D) supramolecular self-assembly to surface chemical reactions, and the selective homo-coupling has been successfully achieved at the solid/liquid interface.

Novel ortho-OPE metallofoldamers: binding-induced folding promoted by nucleating Ag(i)–alkyne interactions

Ag(i)–alkyne interactions induce the folding of o-OPE foldamers, yielding a new class of metallofoldamers.

Solvent-dependent stabilization of metastable monolayer polymorphs at the liquid-solid interface

Self-assembly of 1,3,5-tris(4'-biphenyl-4"-carbonitrile)benzene monolayers was studied at the liquid-solid interface by scanning tunneling microscopy. Application of different fatty acid homologues as solvents revealed a solvent-induced polymorphism. Yet, tempering triggered irreversible phase transitions of the initially self-assembled monolayers, thereby indicating their metastability. Interestingly, in either case, the same thermodynamically more stable and more densely packed monolayer polymorph was obtained after thermal treatment, irrespective of the initial structure. Again, the same densely packed structure was obtained in complementary solvent-free experiments conducted under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. Thus, self-assembly of metastable polymorphs at room temperature is explained by adsorption of partially solvated species under kinetic control. The irreversible phase transitions are induced by thermal desolvation, that is, desorption of coadsorbed solvent molecules.

Temperature-induced structural phase transitions in a two-dimensional self-assembled network

Two-dimensional (2D) supramolecular self-assembly at liquid-solid interfaces is a thermodynamically complex process producing a variety of structures. The formation of multiple network morphologies from the same molecular building blocks is a common occurrence. We use scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) to investigate a structural phase transition between a densely packed and a porous phase of an alkylated dehydrobenzo[12]annulene (DBA) derivative physisorbed at a solvent-graphite interface. The influence of temperature and concentration are studied and the results combined using a thermodynamic model to measure enthalpy and entropy changes associated with the transition. These experimental results are compared to corresponding values obtained from simulations and theoretical calculations. This comparison highlights the importance of considering the solvent when modeling porous self-assembled networks. The results also demonstrate the power of using structural phase transitions to study the thermodynamics of these systems and will have implications for the development of predictive models for 2D self-assembly.

Preprogrammed 2D folding of conformationally flexible oligoamides: foldamers with multiple turn elements

Controlling the molecular conformation of oligomers on surfaces through noncovalent interactions symbolizes an important approach in the bottom-up patterning of surfaces with nanoscale precision. Here we report on the design, synthesis, and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) investigation of linear oligoamides adsorbed at the liquid-solid interface. A new class of extended foldamers comprising as many as four turn elements based on a structural design "rule" adapted from a mimic foldamer was successfully synthesized. The self-assembly of these progressively complex oligomeric structures was scrutinized at the liquid-solid interface by employing STM. Submolecularly resolved STM images of foldamers reveal characteristic in-plane folding and self-assembly behavior of these conformationally flexible molecules. The complexity of the supramolecular architectures increases with increasing number of turn elements. The dissimilarity in the adsorption behavior of different foldamers is discussed qualitatively in light of enthalpic and entropic factors. The modular construction of these oligomeric foldamers with integrated functionalities provides a simple, efficient, and versatile approach to surface patterning with molecular precision.