Poly(arylisocyanides) as Versatile, Enantiodiscriminating Alignment Media for Small Molecules

Polyarylisocyanides Derived from an Alkyne-Pd(II) Catalyst as Robust Alignment Media with Excellent Enantiodiscimination

The development of chiral alignment media for measuring anisotropic NMR parameters provides an opportunity to determine the absolute configuration of chiral molecules without the need for derivatization. However, chiral alignment media with a high and robust enantiodiscriminating property for a wide range of chiral molecules are still scarce. In this study, we synthesized cholesterol-end-functionalized helical polyisocyanides from a chiral monomer using a cholesterol-based alkyne-Pd(II) initiator. These stereoregular polyisocyanides form stable and weak anisotropic lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs) in dichloromethane systems, exhibiting highly optical activities in both single left- and right-handed helices. The preparation process of the media was straightforward, and the aligning property of the LLCs could be controlled by adjusting the concentration and temperature. Using the chiral polyisocyanides, we extracted the residual dipolar coupling for an enantiomeric pair of isopinocampheol (IPC), as well as a number of pharmaceutical molecules, demonstrating excellent enantiodiscriminating properties for a broad range of chiral compounds.

Residual-Chemical-Shift-Anisotropy-Based Enantiodifferentiation in Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline Phases Based on Helically Chiral Polyacetylenes

Anisotropic NMR spectroscopy, revealing residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) and residual chemical shift anisotropies (RCSAs) has emerged as a powerful tool to determine the configurations of synthetic and complex natural compounds. The deduction of the absolute in addition to the relative configuration is one of the primary goals in the field. Therefore, the investigation of the enantiodiscriminating capabilities of chiral alignment media becomes essential. While RDCs and RCSAs are now used for the determination of the relative configuration routinely, RCSAs have not been measured in chiral alignment media such as chiral liquid crystals. Herein, we present this application by measuring RCSAs for chiral analytes such as indanol and isopinocampheol in the lyotropic liquid crystalline phase of an L-valine derived helically chiral polyacetylenes. We have also demonstrated that a single 1D 13 C-{1 H} NMR spectrum suffices to get the RCSAs circumventing the necessity to acquire two spectra at two alignment conditions.

Self-assembly of Helical Polymers and Oligomers to Create Liquid Crystalline Alignment for Anisotropic NMR Parameters

The measurement of anisotropic residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) parameters for the structure elucidation of organic molecules relies on suitable alignment media. Employment of self-assembled liquid crystalline systems to create anisotropic alignment can be an effective way to realize aligned samples and acquire RDCs. This Mini-review highlights the recent advances on amino acid-based helical polymers and supramolecular oligomers forming rigid, rod-like structures that aggregate into ordered liquid crystalline phases, including amino acid-based helical polyisocyanides, polyacetylenes, polypeptides, and oligopeptides assembled alignment media. The methodology for the determination of anisotropic liquid crystals was briefly discussed, and a summary of recent research progress in the enantiodifferentiation of helical polymers aligned media was followed. In addition, the self-assembled mechanism of oligopeptides and their RDCs structural analysis were also described. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.