Transfer, amplification, and inversion of helical chirality mediated by concerted interactions of C3-supramolecular dendrimers

Stimuli-responsive synthetic helical polymers

Synthetic dynamic helical polymers (supramolecular and covalent) and foldamers share the helix as a structural motif. Although the materials are different, these systems also share many structural properties, such as helix induction or conformational communication mechanisms. The introduction of stimuli responsive building blocks or monomer repeating units in these materials triggers conformational or structural changes, due to the presence/absence of the external stimulus, which are transmitted to the helix resulting in different effects, such as assymetry amplification, helix inversion or even changes in the helical scaffold (elongation, J/H helical aggregates). In this review, we show through selected examples how different stimuli (e.g., temperature, solvents, cations, anions, redox, chiral additives, pH or light) can alter the helical structures of dynamic helical polymers (covalent and supramolecular) and foldamers acting on the conformational composition or molecular structure of their components, which is also transmitted to the macromolecular helical structure.

Chiral Supramolecular Assemblies: Controllable Construction and Biological Activity

Chiral supramolecular assemblies with helical structures (e. g., proteins with α-helix, DNA with double helix, collagen with triple-helix) as the central structure motifs in biological systems play a crucial role in various physiological activities of living organisms. Variations in chiral structure can cause many abnormal physiological activities. To gain insight into the construction, structural transition, and related physiological functions of these complex helix in natural systems, it is necessary to fabricate artificial supramolecular assemblies with controllable helix orientation as research platform. This review discusses recent advances in chiral supramolecular assembly, including the precise construction and regulation of assembled chiral nanostructures with tunable chirality. Chiral structure-dependent biological activities, including cell proliferation, cell differentiation, antibacterial activity and tissue regeneration, are also discussed. This review not only contributes to further understanding of the importance of chirality in the physiological environment, but also plays an important role in the development of chiral biomedical materials for the treatment of diseases (e. g., tissue engineering regeneration, stem cell transplantation therapy).

Dendrimer-Mediated Delivery of DNA and RNA Vaccines

DNA and RNA vaccines (nucleic acid-based vaccines) are a promising platform for vaccine development. The first mRNA vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech) were approved in 2020, and a DNA vaccine (Zydus Cadila, India), in 2021. They display unique benefits in the current COVID-19 pandemic. Nucleic acid-based vaccines have a number of advantages, such as safety, efficacy, and low cost. They are potentially faster to develop, cheaper to produce, and easier to store and transport. A crucial step in the technology of DNA or RNA vaccines is choosing an efficient delivery method. Nucleic acid delivery using liposomes is the most popular approach today, but this method has certain disadvantages. Therefore, studies are actively underway to develop various alternative delivery methods, among which synthetic cationic polymers such as dendrimers are very attractive. Dendrimers are three-dimensional nanostructures with a high degree of molecular homogeneity, adjustable size, multivalence, high surface functionality, and high aqueous solubility. The biosafety of some dendrimers has been evaluated in several clinical trials presented in this review. Due to these important and attractive properties, dendrimers are already being used to deliver a number of drugs and are being explored as promising carriers for nucleic acid-based vaccines. This review summarizes the literature data on the development of dendrimer-based delivery systems for DNA and mRNA vaccines.

Functional Chirality: From Small Molecules to Supramolecular Assemblies

Many structures in nature look symmetric, but this is not completely accurate, because absolute symmetry is close to death. Chirality (handedness) is one form of living asymmetry. Chirality has been extensively investigated at different levels. Many rules were coined in attempts made for many decades to have control over the selection of handedness that seems to easily occur in nature. It is certain that if good control is realized on chirality, the roads will be ultimately open towards numerous developments in pharmaceutical, technological, and industrial applications. This tutorial review presents a report on chirality from single molecules to supramolecular assemblies. The realized functions are still in their infancy and have been scarcely converted into actual applications. This review provides an overview for starters in the chirality field of research on concepts, common methodologies, and outstanding accomplishments. It starts with an introductory section on the definitions and classifications of chirality at the different levels of molecular complexity, followed by highlighting the importance of chirality in biological systems and the different means of realizing chirality and its inversion in solid and solution-based systems at molecular and supramolecular levels. Chirality-relevant important findings and (bio-)technological applications are also reported accordingly.

The Role of the 1,2,3-Triazolyl Heterocycle in the Helical Columnar Assembly and Electric Field Response

Here, we have proven the role of the 1,2,3-triazolyl group in the helical assembly and electric field (E-field) response upon comparing liquid crystal analogs 1 and 2 based on 1,2,3-triazolyl and 1,3,4-oxadiazolyl linkers, respectively. An ordered helical column was only observed in 1, driven by the hydrogen-bonding interactions between the adjacent triazolyl nitrogen and hydrogen atoms. X-ray diffraction and energy simulations indicate that the helical column is a 11₂ helix and the helical axis does not coincide with the center of the molecular long axis. The key for the formation of the helical column is the tilted conformation of 1 originating from the steric repulsion between the triazolyl C-H and C-H of the aromatic core. Analysis of the dynamics in the simple hexagonal columnar phase revealed that the in-plane rotational motion of the triazolyl linker (1) is allowed, while the oxadiazolyl linker of 2 has limited conformational flexibility. A uniform alignment under an E-field only occurs in 1, demonstrating the requirement for conformational flexibility in the polar linker. This alignment enhances the electric conductance of 1 by approximately two-fold.

Dendrimer-mediated columnar mesophase of surfactants

The columnar mesophase, in which the molecular or supramolecular building blocks with rod-like geometry pack into two-dimensional (2D) lattices, is an important class of mesomorphic structure having been found in various liquid crystalline materials for practical applications. The cylindrical micelles assembled by amphiphilic surfactants may also form columnar mesophases with the micelle packing symmetry being tunable by the molecular characteristics of the surfactants. In this study, we demonstrate that a positively charged tree-like polymer, poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) G4 dendrimer, acted as an effective structure-directing agent for the columnar mesophase of a common anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), via their electrostatic interaction. By adjusting the dendrimer charge density and the nominal binding ratio (Xn) of SDS to dendrimer, the electrostatic complexes self-assembled to form a body-centered cubic (BCC) sphere phase, wherein the dendrimers were staggered between the interspaces of the SDS spherical micelles packed in the BCC lattice. Four types of 2D columnar mesophase composed of SDS cylindrical micelles and dendrimers were accommodated within the interstitial tunnels, including the hexagonal columnar phase (Colhex), simple rectangular columnar phase (Colsr), oblique columnar phase (Colob) and centered rectangular columnar phase (Colcr). A detailed analysis of the geometry of the dendrimer in the columnar mesophases revealed that the structural transition was governed by the interplay among the lateral and axial deformations of the dendrimer, and the deformation of the SDS micelle cross section for achieving effective charge matching and accommodation of the dendrimer. The present study demonstrated the power of the dendrimer in directing the long-range ordered packing of oppositely charged cylinders to yield a rich structural polymorphism of the columnar mesophase that may be exploited for the development of functional materials.

A ferrocene-based pseudopeptide chiroptical switch

A ferrocene pseudopeptide chiroptical switch sensitive to solvent exchange and acid addition with a response in the visible region of CD spectra.

Computationally Guided Tuning of Amino Acid Configuration Influences the Chiroptical Properties of Supramolecular Peptide-π-Peptide Nanostructures

Self-assembled supramolecular materials derived from peptidic macromolecules with π-conjugated building blocks are of enormous interest because of their aqueous solubility and biocompatibility. The design rules to achieve tailored optoelectronic properties from these types of materials can be guided by computation and virtual screening rather than intuition-based experimental trial-and-error. Using machine learning, we reported previously that the supramolecular chirality in self-assembled aggregates from VEVAG-π-GAVEV type peptidic materials was most strongly influenced by hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic packing of the alanine and valine residues. Herein, we build upon this idea to demonstrate through molecular-level experimental characterization and all-atom molecular modeling that varying the stereogenic centers of these residues has a profound impact on the optoelectronic properties of the supramolecular aggregates, whereas the variation of stereogenic centers of other residues has only nominal influence on these properties. This study highlights the synergy between computational and experimental insight relevant to the control of chiroptical or other electronic properties associated with supramolecular materials.

Visualizing the helical stacking of octahedral metallomesogens with a chiral core

A combination of grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction and molecular dynamics simulation studies led to the visualization of the stacking structure of a helical columnar liquid crystal formed by enantiopure octahedral metallomesogens with ΔΛ chirality. The helical structure was elucidated as a hybrid of two major proposed structures.

Seeded Polymerization of an Amide-Functionalized Diketopyrrolopyrrole Dye in Aqueous Media

The self-assembly of an amide-functionalized dithienyldiketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) dye in aqueous media was achieved through seed-initiated supramolecular polymerization. Temperature- and time-dependent studies showed that the spontaneous polymerization of the DPP derivative was temporally delayed upon cooling the monomer solution in a methanol/water mixture. Theoretical calculations revealed that an amide-functionalized DPP derivative adopts an energetically favorable folded conformation in the presence of water molecules due to hydration. This conformational change is most likely responsible for the trapping of monomers in the initial stage of the cooperative supramolecular polymerization in aqueous media. However, the monomeric species can selectively interact with externally added fragmented aggregates as seeds through concerted π-stacking and hydrogen-bonding interactions. Consequently, the time course of the supramolecular polymerization and the morphology of the aggregated state can be controlled, and one-dimensional fibers that exhibit a J-aggregate-like bathochromically shifted absorption band can be obtained.

Unveiling the helicity switching mechanism of a rigid two-tiered stacked architecture

Conformational inversion of foldamers has been shown to transmit signals across the lipid membrane. Helicity switching is critical to fulfilling this function. Despite the importance of the conformational inversion, the mechanism that underlies the helicity switching process remains unclear. In the present contribution, a rigid two-tiered stacked architecture (2T) has been investigated at the atomic level using molecular simulations. The architecture consists of two conjugated cores and three flexible side chains. Two- and three-dimensional free-energy landscapes characterizing the isomerization of 2T reveal a four-stage helicity switching process. Four stages involve the flipping of three peripheral aromatic rings in the top tier and rotating of the bottom tier relative to the top one. The highest barrier hampering the transition between right-handed and left-handed helices emerges as the second benzene ring flips. Structural analysis shows that the ring flipping stretches the side chain, which leads to the deformation of conjugated cores, twist of dihedral angles within side chains, and the reorientation of amine moieties attached to chains. By deciphering the intricate mechanism whereby the rigid stacked architecture isomerizes, our understanding of the helicity switching is expected to be improved, helping in turn the construction of novel functional helices.

One-pot synthesis of benzotripyrrole derivatives from 1H-pyrroles

Benzotripyrroles were synthesized in one step from functionalized pyrroles and computational studies reveal the reactivity of the pyrroles and stability of the benzotripyrroles.

Chiral signs of TPPS co-assemblies with chiral gelators: role of molecular and supramolecular chirality

A dianionic tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin (TPPS) self-assembled into J-aggregates when it co-assembled with a chiral cationic amphiphile via supramolecular gelation. The chiral signs of TPPS J aggregates followed the supramolecular chirality of amphiphilic assemblies rather than the molecular chirality of the amphiphile.

Losing supramolecular orientational memory via self-organization of a misfolded secondary structure

Comparing the self-organization of two dendronized perylene bisimides reveals how structurally defective primary structure eliminates memory function via hierarchical self-organization.

Chirality control of multi-stimuli responsive and self-healing supramolecular metallo-hydrogels

The spontaneous formation of supramolecular metallo-hydrogels showing multi stimuli-responsiveness and intrinsic self-healing properties upon the interaction of chiral-histidine with Zn²⁺ ions.

Self-Assembling and Luminescent Properties of Chiral Bisoxadiazole Derivatives in Solution and Liquid-Crystalline Phases

Herein, we report the synthesis, self-assembly, and electroluminescence characteristics of a new green-emitting, pseudodiscoid chiral molecule, OXDC, containing an electron-donating stilbene core and an electron-accepting oxadiazole substituent. The helical organization and specific interaction of the chiral pseudodiscoid molecule resulted in the formation of self-assembled nanofibers with a columnar superstructure. Macroscopic chirality was observed in both the liquid-crystalline phases and the self-assembled nanofibers of OXDC, a feature which was absent in the analogous achiral oxadiazole derivative reported earlier [ Sivadas , A. P. ; Supergelation via Purely Aromatic π-π Driven Self-Assembly of Pseudodiscotic Oxadiazole Mesogens . J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014 , 136 , 5416 - 5423 ]. A high-performance organic light-emitting device was demonstrated using OXDC as the emitting material, with a luminous intensity of 10 115 cd m^-2 at 5 V and chromaticity coordinates of (0.32, 0.51).

Metal-induced supramolecular chirality inversion of small self-assembled molecules in solution

The first example of supramolecular chirality inversion of small self-assembled ligands in solution by complexation to metal ions is presented.

Dynamic self-assembled polymer: HCl responsive inversion of supramolecular polymer handedness

Discotic trisamide formed a self-assembled polymer and exhibits inversion of supramolecular polymer handedness in the presence of HCl.

Chiral Graphene Quantum Dots

Chiral nanostructures from metals and semiconductors attract wide interest as components for polarization-enabled optoelectronic devices. Similarly to other fields of nanotechnology, graphene-based materials can greatly enrich physical and chemical phenomena associated with optical and electronic properties of chiral nanostructures and facilitate their applications in biology as well as other areas. Here, we report that covalent attachment of l/d-cysteine moieties to the edges of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) leads to their helical buckling due to chiral interactions at the "crowded" edges. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the GQDs revealed bands at ca. 210-220 and 250-265 nm that changed their signs for different chirality of the cysteine edge ligands. The high-energy chiroptical peaks at 210-220 nm correspond to the hybridized molecular orbitals involving the chiral center of amino acids and atoms of graphene edges. Diverse experimental and modeling data, including density functional theory calculations of CD spectra with probabilistic distribution of GQD isomers, indicate that the band at 250-265 nm originates from the three-dimensional twisting of the graphene sheet and can be attributed to the chiral excitonic transitions. The positive and negative low-energy CD bands correspond to the left and right helicity of GQDs, respectively. Exposure of liver HepG2 cells to L/D-GQDs reveals their general biocompatibility and a noticeable difference in the toxicity of the stereoisomers. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated that d-GQDs have a stronger tendency to accumulate within the cellular membrane than L-GQDs. Emergence of nanoscale chirality in GQDs decorated with biomolecules is expected to be a general stereochemical phenomenon for flexible sheets of nanomaterials.

Controllability of dynamic double helices: quantitative analysis of the inversion of a screw-sense preference upon complexation

We describe a quantitative analysis of the complexation-induced inversion of a screw-sense preference based on a conformationally dynamic double-helix structure in a macrocycle. The macrocycle is composed of two twisting units (terephthalamide), which are spaced by two strands (1,3-bis(phenylethynyl)benzene), and is designed to generate a double-helix structure through twisting about a C2 axis in a conrotatory manner. The attachment of chiral auxiliaries to the twisting units induces a helical preference for a particular sense of (M)- or (P)-helicity through the intramolecular transmission of chirality to dynamic double helices. The twisting unit can also act as a binding site for capturing a guest molecule, and, in a complexed state, the preferred screw sense of the dynamic double-helix structure is reversed to exhibit the contrary preference. We quantitatively monitored the complexation-induced inversion of the screw-sense preference using 1H NMR spectroscopy, which enabled us to observe independently two species with (M)- or (P)-helicity in both the absence and presence of a guest molecule. Inversion of the screw-sense preference was induced upon complexation with an achiral guest as well as a chiral guest.

Sequential phase transformation of propeller-like C3-symmetric liquid crystals from a helical to ordered to disordered hexagonal columnar structure

In this paper, we report thermally induced intercolumnar phase transitions of C3-symmetric liquid crystals (LCs) bearing a triazole-based propeller-like aromatic mesogen. Since the constituting aromatic rings are conjugated through rotatable single bonds, the mesogenic shape is tuneable depending on the degree of conformational motion. Molecule 1 with ninefold octyl peripheries shows a hexagonal columnar liquid crystalline phase transition from ordered mesogenic stacking to disordered mesogenic stacking upon heating. On the other hand, molecule 2 with sixfold octyl peripheries displays a helical hexagonal columnar phase with the P6/mmm space group at ambient temperature as well as the ordered and disordered hexagonal columnar phases at higher temperatures. The intracolumnar helical order can be understood by an interdigitated stacking of the propeller-like mesogens along the columnar axis and the optimized space-filling. Notably, all the intercolumnar phase transformations in this study are revealed as second-order transitions. The thermodynamic nature agrees well with the fact that the conformational motions of the C3-symmetric aromatic mesogen change abruptly with each columnar transition.

Smectic assemblies in C₃-symmetric hexa-alkylated liquid crystals: transformation from smectogen to discogen via hydrogen bonding

In this paper, we report a C3-symmetric liquid crystal (LC) with sixfold alkyl peripheries exhibiting an unusual smectic E-like organization in the LC state. Based on conformational considerations, the smectic assembly is attributed to the formation of an endo-type Y conformer of asymmetric triazolyl and benzylic groups that cannot be accessed in other C3-symmetric molecules exclusively showing columnar assemblies. The Y conformers form a two-dimensional oblique lattice in the aromatic layers of the ordered smectic phase. In addition, the Y-shaped molecule in the smectic phases can change into a circular shape by the 1 : 1 hydrogen-bonding interaction with a gallic acid derivative, which leads to a hexagonal columnar LC phase. The triazole-based LC design concept proves the smectic LC assembly in the C3-symmetric system, and provides the supramolecular manipulation of LC morphologies.