Mechanism of Helix Induction in Poly(4-carboxyphenyl isocyanide) with Chiral Amines and Memory of the Macromolecular Helicity and Its Helical Structures

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.

Photoswitchable Enantioselective and Helix-Sense Controlled Living Polymerization

A pair of enantiomeric photoswitchable PdII catalysts, alkyne-PdII /LR-azo and alkyne-PdII /LS-azo , were prepared via the coordination of alkyne-PdII and azobenzene-modified phosphine ligands LR-azo and LS-azo . Owing to the cis-trans photoisomerization of the azobenzene moiety, alkyne-PdII /LR-azo and alkyne-PdII /LS-azo exhibited different polymerization activities, helix-sense selectivities, and enantioselectivities during the polymerization of isocyanide monomers under irradiation of different wavelength lights. Furthermore, the achiral isocyanide monomer A-1 could be polymerized efficiently using alkyne-PdII /LR-azo under dark condition in a living/controlled manner. Further, it generated single right-handed helical poly-A-1m (LR-azo ), confirmed by the circular dichroism spectra and atomic force microscopy images. However, the polymerization of A-1 almost could not be initiated under 420 nm light in identical conditions of dark condition. Moreover, the photoswitchable catalyst alkyne-PdII /LR-azo exhibited high enantioselectivity for the polymerization of the racemates of L-1 and D-1, respectively. D-1 was polymerized preferentially under dark condition with a D-1/L-1 rate ratio of 70, yielding single right-handed polyisocyanides. Additionally, reversible enantioselectivity was observed under 420 nm light using alkyne-PdII /LR-azo , and the calculated polymerization rate ratio of L-1/D-1 was 57 because of the isomerization of the azobenzene moiety of the catalyst. Furthermore, alkyne-PdII /LS-azo showed opposite enantioselectivity and helix-sense selectivity during the polymerization of the racemates of L-1 and D-1.

Synthesis and applications of helical polymers with dynamic and static memories of helicity

This review mainly highlights our studies on the synthesis of one-handed helical polymers with a static memory of helicity based on the noncovalent helicity induction with a helical-sense bias and subsequent memory of the helicity approach that we developed during the past decade. Apart from the previous approaches, an excess one-handed helical conformation, once induced by nonracemic molecules, is immediately retained ("memorized") after the complete removal of the nonracemic molecules, accompanied by a significant amplification of the asymmetry, providing novel switchable chiral materials for chromatographic enantioseparation and asymmetric catalysis as well as a highly sensitive colorimetric and fluorescence chiral sensor. A conceptually new one-handed helix formation in a racemic helical polymer composed of racemic repeating units through the deracemization of the pendants is described.

Multi-chiral materials comprising metallosupramolecular and covalent helical polymers containing five axial motifs within a helix

Supramolecular and covalent polymers share multiple structural effects such as communication mechanisms among monomer repeating units, which are related to their axial helical structure. Herein, a unique multi-helical material combining information from both metallosupramolecular and covalent helical polymers is presented. In this system, the helical structure described by the poly(acetylene) (PA) backbone (cis-cisoidal, cis-transoidal) guides the pendant groups in a fashion where a tilting degree emerges between a pendant and the adjacent ones. As a result, a multi-chiral material is formed comprising four or five axial motifs when the polyene skeleton adopts either a cis-transoidal or cis-cisoidal configuration: the two coaxial helices-internal and external-and the two or three chiral axial motifs described by the bispyridyldichlorido Pt^II complex array. These results show that complex multi-chiral materials can be obtained by polymerizing appropriate monomers that combine both point chirality and the ability to generate chiral supramolecular assemblies.

Asymmetric Polymerization-Induced Crystallization-Driven Self-Assembly of Helical, Rod-Coil Poly(aryl isocyanide) Block Copolymers

Polymerization-induced crystallization-driven self-assembly (PI-CDSA) is combined, for the first time, with helical, rod-coil block copolymer (BCP) self-assembly to enable scalable and controllable in situ synthesis of chiral nanostructures of variable shape, size, and dimensionality. Herein, we report newly developed asymmetric PI-CDSA (A-PI-CDSA) methodologies in the synthesis and in situ self-assembly of chiral, rod-coil BCPs composed of poly(aryl isocyanide) (PAIC) rigid-rod and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) random-coil components. Using PEG-based nickel(II) macroinitiators, the construction of PAIC-BCP nanostructures with variable chiral morphologies is accomplished at solids contents ranging 5.0-10 wt %. At low core-to-corona ratios for PAIC-BCPs, we demonstrate the scalable formation of chiral one-dimensional (1D) nanofibers via "living" A-PI-CDSA whose contour lengths can be tuned through alterations to unimer-to-1D seed particle ratio. At high core-to-corona ratios, A-PI-CDSA was implemented for the rapid fabrication of molecularly thin, uniform hexagonal nanosheets via spontaneous nucleation and growth aided by vortex agitation. Investigations into 2D seeded, living A-PI-CDSA revealed a brand-new paradigm in the context of CDSA where hierarchically chiral, M helical spirangle morphologies (i.e., hexagonal helicoids) are size-tuned in three dimensions (i.e., heights and areas) via alterations to unimer-to-seed ratio. These unique nanostructures are formed in situ at scalable solids contents up to 10 wt % via rapid crystallization about screw dislocation defect sites in an enantioselective fashion. The liquid crystalline nature of PAIC blocks dictates the hierarchical assembly of these BCPs, with chirality translated across length scales and in multiple dimensions affording large amplifications in chiroptical activity with g-factors reaching -0.030 for spirangle nanostructures.

Full Control of the Chiral Overpass Effect in Helical Polymers: P/M Screw Sense Induction by Remote Chiral Centers After Bypassing the First Chiral Residue

In helical polymers, helical sense induction is usually commanded by teleinduction mechanism, where the largest substituent of the chiral residue directly attached to the main chain is the one that commands the helical sense. In this work, different helical structures with different helical senses are induced in a helical polymer [poly-(phenylacetylene)] when the conformational composition of two different dihedral angles of a pendant group with more than two chiral residues is tamed. Thus, while the dihedral angle at chiral residue 1 [(R)- or (S)-alanine], attached to the backbone, produces an extended or bent conformation in the pendant resulting in two scaffolds with different stretching degree, the second dihedral angle at chiral residue 2 [(R)- or (S)-methoxyphenylacetamide] places the substituents of this chiral center in a different spatial orientation, originating opposite helical senses at the polymer that are induced through a total control of the "chiral overpass effect".

Laminarin acetyl esters: Synthesis, conformational analysis and anti-viral effects

Chemical modification of polysaccharides is important for expanding their applications and gaining new insights into their structure-property relationships. Here we reported the synthesis, characterization, and anti-viral activities of laminarin acetyl derivatives. The chemical structure and chain conformation of acetylated laminarin were characterized by FT-IR, H¹ NMR, AFM, UV-vis spectrum, and induced circular dichroism based on a modified Congo Red assay (ICD-CR assay). The inhibition effect of laminarin and its acetyl derivatives on HSV-1 was evaluated by viral plaque assay and virus-associated DNA/protein change. Acetylation modification was found to trigger the conformation transition of laminarin from triple helix to single helix, and the extent of transition can be tuned by the degree of substitution. The single helical acetylated laminarins were found to be stable in neutral aqueous solution and exhibited no cytotoxicity. However, the acetylated laminarin exhibited declined antiviral activity after modification.

A Real-Time Strategy for Chiroptical Sensing and Enantiomeric Excess Determination of Primary Amines via an Acid-Base Reaction

Two achiral aromatic carboxylic acids that included the 1,8-naphthalimide group and an imidazolium cation were synthesized and exploited as chiroptical sensors. These compounds showed the real-time discrimination and enantiomeric excess determination of chiral amines and amino alcohols via an acid-base interaction, especially for UV-silent chiral compounds.

Supramolecular Helical Miktoarm Star Polymers

We report a hydrogen-bonded supramolecular miktoarm star polymer containing three distinct helical arms. Our design involves two helical poly(methacrylamide) arms connected by a barbituric acid (Ba) at the center, prepared through the reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization with a bifunctional agent. Together with a telechelic helical poly(isocyanide) end-functionalized with a Hamilton Wedge (HW) that is complementary to Ba, the two components assemble into an AB₂-type star copolymer. The assembly is driven by the hydrogen bonding between HW and Ba, which is quantified by ¹H NMR titration and isothermal titration calorimetry. Gel-permeation chromatography provides evidence for the formation of the desired miktoarm star architecture. This strategy of site-specific functionalization on helical polymers provides a modular approach to preparing nonlinear supramolecular ensembles with topologically diverse building blocks.

Protected amino acids as a nonbonding source of chirality in induction of single-handed screw-sense to helical macromolecular catalysts

Chiral nonbonding interaction with N-protected amino acid methyl esters used as chiral additives in achiral solvents allows dynamic induction of single-handed helical conformation in poly(quinoxaline-2,3-diyl)s (PQX) bearing only achiral substituents. Ac-l-Pro-OMe, for instance, allows induction of energy preference of 0.16 kJ mol-1 per monomer unit for the M-helical structure over the P-helix in t-butyl methyl ether (MTBE). With this new mode of screw-sense induction, homochiral screw-sense has been induced in virtually achiral poly(quinoxaline-2,3-diyl)s 1000-mer containing phosphine pendants (PQXphos). Use of PQXphos as a helically dynamic ligand along with Ac-Pro-OMe (l or d) as a chiral additive in MTBE allowed a highly enantioselective Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction with up to 95% enantiomeric excess.

Induction of Chirality in Supramolecular Coassemblies Built from Achiral Precursors

The emergence, transference, amplification, and memory of chiroptical activity in supramolecular assemblies, including circularly polarized absorbance and circularly polarized luminescence, remain significant challenges. Herein, an achiral pyridine-substituted coumarin derivative and chiral additives can coassemble into helical nanostructures with fine chiroptical activity via subtle hydrogen-bonding interactions. The resulting supramolecular assemblies remain optically active even after the removal of chiral additives, demonstrating supramolecular chirality can be remembered in the assemblies. More importantly, the removed chiral elements can be reused to achieve continuous circulation and amplification of chirality. This work presents insight into the emergence, transference, amplification, and memory of chirality in a supramolecular assembly system and could be applied to the manufacturing of chiroptical materials.

Chiroptical Properties in Thin Films of π-Conjugated Systems

Chiral π-conjugated molecules provide new materials with outstanding features for current and perspective applications, especially in the field of optoelectronic devices. In thin films, processes such as charge conduction, light absorption, and emission are governed not only by the structure of the individual molecules but also by their supramolecular structures and intermolecular interactions to a large extent. Electronic circular dichroism, ECD, and its emission counterpart, circularly polarized luminescence, CPL, provide tools for studying aggregated states and the key properties to be sought for designing innovative devices. In this review, we shall present a comprehensive coverage of chiroptical properties measured on thin films of organic π-conjugated molecules. In the first part, we shall discuss some general concepts of ECD, CPL, and other chiroptical spectroscopies, with a focus on their applications to thin film samples. In the following, we will overview the existing literature on chiral π-conjugated systems whose thin films have been characterized by ECD and/or CPL, as well other chiroptical spectroscopies. Special emphasis will be put on systems with large dissymmetry factors (g_abs and g_lum) and on the application of ECD and CPL to derive structural information on aggregated states.

Supramolecular Chirality in Azobenzene-Containing Polymer System: Traditional Postpolymerization Self-Assembly Versus In Situ Supramolecular Self-Assembly Strategy

Recently, the design of novel supramolecular chiral materials has received a great deal of attention due to rapid developments in the fields of supramolecular chemistry and molecular self-assembly. Supramolecular chirality has been widely introduced to polymers containing photoresponsive azobenzene groups. On the one hand, supramolecular chiral structures of azobenzene-containing polymers (Azo-polymers) can be produced by nonsymmetric arrangement of Azo units through noncovalent interactions. On the other hand, the reversibility of the photoisomerization also allows for the control of the supramolecular organization of the Azo moieties within polymer structures. The construction of supramolecular chirality in Azo-polymeric self-assembled system is highly important for further developments in this field from both academic and practical points of view. The postpolymerization self-assembly strategy is one of the traditional strategies for mainly constructing supramolecular chirality in Azo-polymers. The in situ supramolecular self-assembly mediated by polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) is a facile one-pot approach for the construction of well-defined supramolecular chirality during polymerization process. In this review, we focus on a discussion of supramolecular chirality of Azo-polymer systems constructed by traditional postpolymerization self-assembly and PISA-mediated in situ supramolecular self-assembly. Furthermore, we will also summarize the basic concepts, seminal studies, recent trends, and perspectives in the constructions and applications of supramolecular chirality based on Azo-polymers with the hope to advance the development of supramolecular chirality in chemistry.

Chiral information harvesting in helical poly(acetylene) derivatives using oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene)s as spacers

A chiral harvesting transmission mechanism is described in poly(acetylene)s bearing oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene)s (OPEs) used as rigid achiral spacers and derivatized with chiral pendant groups. The chiral moieties induce a positive or negative tilting degree in the stacking of OPE units along the polymer structure, which is further harvested by the polyene backbone adopting either a P or M helix.

Helical polymers for biological and medical applications

Helices are the most prevalent secondary structure in biomolecules and play vital roles in their activity. Chemists have been fascinated with mimicking this molecular conformation with synthetic materials. Research has now been devoted to the synthesis and characterization of helical materials, and to understand the design principles behind this molecular architecture. In parallel, work has been done to develop synthetic polymers for biological and medical applications. We now have access to materials with controlled size, molecular conformation, multivalency or functionality. As a result, synthetic polymers are being investigated in areas such as drug and gene delivery, tissue engineering, imaging and sensing, or as polymer therapeutics. Here, we provide a critical view of where these two fields, helical polymers and polymers for biological and medical applications, overlap. We have selected relevant polymer families and examples to illustrate the range of applications that can be targeted and the impact of the helical conformation on the performance. For each family of polymers, we briefly describe how they can be prepared, what helical conformations are observed and what parameters control helicity. We close this Review with an outlook of the challenges ahead, including the characterization of helicity through the process and the identification of biocompatibility.

Raman Optical Activity (ROA) as a New Tool to Elucidate the Helical Structure of Poly(phenylacetylene)s

Poly(phenylacetylene)s are a family of helical polymers constituted by conjugated double bonds. Raman spectra of these polymers show a structural fingerprint of the polyene backbone which, in combination with its helical orientation, makes them good candidates to be studied by Raman optical activity (ROA). Four different well-known poly(phenylacetylene)s adopting different scaffolds and ten different helical senses have been prepared. Raman and ROA spectra were recorded and allowed to establish ROA-spectrum/helical-sense relationships: a left/right-handed orientation of the polyene backbone (M_helix /P_helix ) produces a triplet of positive/negative ROA bands. Raman and ROA spectra of each polymer exhibited the same profile, and the sign of the ROA spectrum was opposite to the lowest-energy electronic circular dichroism (ECD) band, indicating a resonance effect. Resonance ROA appears then as an indicator of the helical sense of poly(phenylacetylene)s, especially for those with an extra Cotton band in the ECD spectrum, where a wrong helical sense is assigned based on ECD, while ROA alerts of this misassignment.

Mesochiral phases from the self-assembly of chiral block copolymers

Self-assembly of block copolymers with chiral sense gives mesochiral phases possessing helical sense. With the controlled chirality of the helical cylinder and chiral network, it is appealing to fabricate chiral materials for applications.

Living Cyclocopolymerization through Alternating Insertion of Isocyanide and Allene via Controlling the Reactivity of the Propagation Species: Detailed Mechanistic Investigation

Living cyclocopolymerization through the alternating insertion of an isocyanide and allene into palladium-carbon bond was developed based on the controlling the reactivity of the propagation species using bidentate ligands. We revealed that the rate of the presented cyclocopolymerization was depended on the ligands of Pd-initiator. When the palladium-methyl complexes having appropriate cis-chelating ligand, such as 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane (dppp), were used as initiator, the cyclocopolymerization of bifunctional aryl isocyanides (1) that contain both isocyano and allenyl moieties polymerized to afford poly(quinolylene-2,3-methylene)s with controlled molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distributions. The resulting polymer was characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR analyses, which clearly showed that the terminal moiety of the polymer formed well-defined organopalladium complex as the resting state for the polymerization, which could undergo further polymerization; not only cyclocopolymerization with 1 but also homopolymerization of simple aryl isocyanide. In the analysis of the cyclocopolymerization mechanism, we conclusively demonstrated that the insertion reaction of isocyanide is the rate-determination step in the cyclocopolymerization, which proceeds via a five-coordinate intermediate with a geometrical change. The cis-chelating ligand controls the site interchange reaction, which dominates the reactivity of propagation species.

Decoding the ECD Spectra of Poly(phenylacetylene)s: Structural Significance

The role of the main dihedral angles in the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra of poly(phenylacetylene)s (PPAs) was estimated by using time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) for oligo(phenylacetylene)s (n = 12). These studies reveal that in cis-transoidal arrangements, the first Cotton effect is dominated by excitations involving molecular orbitals (MOs) mainly related to the polyene backbone. Hence, for this scaffold, the ± sign of the first Cotton effect reflects the P/M helical sense of the internal helix of the polymer. However, in cis-cisoidal arrangements, contribution of MOs in the polyene and the aryl rings of the PPA backbone produce the first Cotton effect band. As a result, two different ECD signatures with three or four alternating Cotton effects can be produced depending on the sign of the ω₁ and ω₃ dihedral angles which determine the helical sense of the polyene (ω₁) and the relative orientation of the aryl ring toward the polyene (ω₃), respectively. Thus, on the one hand, if ω₁ and ω₃ rotate in opposite directions, a CD with three alternating Cotton effects is observed, where the sign of first Cotton correlates with the P/M helical sense of the polyene. On the other hand, if ω₁ and ω₃ rotate in the same direction, a CD signature with four alternating Cotton effects is produced where the information relative to the P/M helical sense of the polyene is contained in the second Cotton effect.

Postpolymerization modification based on dynamic imine chemistry for the synthesis of functional polyacetylenes

This study established a postpolymerization modification method for the preparation of functional polyacetylenes based on dynamic imine chemistry.

Macromolecular helicity control of poly(phenyl isocyanate)s with a single stimuli-responsive chiral switch

The introduction of a single chiral substituent with a switchable conformer equilibrium at the poly(phenyl isocyanate) terminus allowed the control of the helical sense of the polymer backbone using various external stimuli. Helical sense enhancement was achieved through a domino effect, where the helical sense was assigned by VCD spectroscopy and DFT calculations.

Chirality Construction from Preferred π-π Stacks of Achiral Azobenzene Units in Polymer: Chiral Induction, Transfer and Memory

The induction of supramolecular chirality from achiral polymers has been widely investigated in composite systems consisting of a chiral guest, achiral host, and solvents. To further study and understand the process of chirality transfer from a chiral solvent or chiral molecules to an achiral polymer backbone or side-chain units, an alternative is to reduce the components in the supramolecular assembled systems. Herein, achiral side-chain azobenzene (Azo)-containing polymers, poly(6-[4-(4-methoxyphenylazo) phenoxy] hexyl methacrylate) (PAzoMA), with different M_ns, were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Preferred chirality from supramolecular assembled trans-Azo units of PAzoMAs is successfully induced solely by the neat limonene. These aggregates of the polymers in limonene solution were characterized by circular dichroism (CD), UV-vis spectra, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) under different temperatures. The temperature plays an important role in the course of chiral induction. Meanwhile, supramolecular chirality can be constructed in the solid films of the achiral side-chain Azo-containing polymers that were triggered by limonene vapors. Also, it can be erased after heated above the glass transition temperature (T_g) of the polymer, and recovered after cooling down in the limonene vapors. A chiroptical switch can be built by alternately changing the temperature. The solid films show good chiral memory behaviors. The current results will facilitate studying the mechanism of chirality transfer induced by chiral solvent and improve potential application possibilities in chiral film materials.

Sequential Induction of Chirality in Helical Polymers: From the Stereocenter to the Achiral Solvent

Several steps of chiral induction have been detected in poly(phenylacetylene)s among their different hierarchical levels of chirality by vibrational circular dichroism, namely, (i) from the stereogenic centers to the innermost polyacetylene helical covalent backbone (helix_int), (ii) from this to the external helix (helix_ext) formed by the side phenyl pendants that form a complementary helix or counter-helix, and (iii) from this pendant helix to the helical solvation sphere (helix_solv.), the last one being observed along this work. The pendant to polyene backbone chiral induction determines the helical structure adopted by the polymer and therefore the solvation helix. This helical structure is promoted by two mechanisms: steric effects and hydrogen bonding. An important finding concerns the demonstration by VCD of how an achiral solvent becomes chirally organized owing to the template effect of the covalent polymer helices, an effect that is silent to other structural techniques such as ECD or AFM and that hence significantly broadens the scope of these previous analyses.

Predicting the Helical Sense of Poly(phenylacetylene)s from their Electron Circular Dichroism Spectra

The calculated ECD spectrum (time-dependent density functional theory TD-DFT) for small oligomers of polyphenylacetylenes (PPAs) show a very good match with the experimental spectra of the PPA polymers, particularly with the first Cotton band associated to the helical sense of the internal polyenic backbone. This has been proven with a series of PPAs representative of cis-cisoidal, cis-transoidal, compressed and stretched polyene backbones, with identical or opposite internal/external rotational senses and allows the prediction of the helical sense of the internal helix of a PPA directly from its CD spectra.

Helix-sense-selective co-precipitation for preparing optically active helical polymer nanoparticles/graphene oxide hybrid nanocomposites

Constructing optically active helical polymer based nanomaterials without using expensive and limited chirally helical polymers has become an extremely attractive research topic in both chemical and materials science. In this study, we prepared a series of optically active helical polymer nanoparticles/graphene oxide (OAHPNs/GO) hybrid nanocomposites through an unprecedented strategy-the co-precipitation of optically inactive helical polymers and chirally modified GO. This approach is named helix-sense-selective co-precipitation (HSSCP), in which the chirally modified GO acted as a chiral source for inducing and further stabilizing the predominantly one-handed helicity in the optically inactive helical polymers. SEM and TEM images show quite similar morphologies of all the obtained OAHPNs/GO nanocomposites; specifically, the chirally modified GO sheets were uniformly decorated with spherical polymer nanoparticles. Circular dichroism (CD) and UV-vis absorption spectra confirmed the preferentially induced helicity in the helical polymers and the optical activity of the nanocomposites. The established HSSCP strategy is thus proven to be widely applicable and is expected to produce numerous functional OAHPNs/GO nanocomposites and even the analogues.

Homochiral Evolution in Self-Assembled Chiral Polymers and Block Copolymers

The significance of chirality transfer is not only involved in biological systems, such as the origin of homochiral structures in life but also in man-made chemicals and materials. How the chiral bias transfers from molecular level (molecular chirality) to helical chain (conformational chirality) and then to helical superstructure or phase (hierarchical chirality) from self-assembly is vital for the chemical and biological processes in nature, such as communication, replication, and enzyme catalysis. In this Account, we summarize the methodologies for the examination of homochiral evolution at different length scales based on our recent studies with respect to the self-assembly of chiral polymers and chiral block copolymers (BCPs*). A helical (H*) phase to distinguish its P622 symmetry from that of normal hexagonally packed cylinder phase was discovered in the self-assembly of BCPs* due to the chirality effect on BCP self-assembly. Enantiomeric polylactide-containing BCPs*, polystyrene-b-poly(l-lactide) (PS-PLLA) and polystyrene-b-poly(d-lactide) (PS-PDLA), were synthesized for the examination of homochiral evolution. The optical activity (molecular chirality) of constituted chiral repeating unit in the chiral polylactide is detected by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) whereas the conformational chirality of helical polylactide chain can be explicitly determined by vibrational circular dichroism (VCD). The H* phases of the self-assembled polylactide-containing BCPs* can be directly visualized by 3D transmission electron microscopy (3D TEM) technique at which the handedness (hierarchical chirality) of the helical nanostructure is thus determined. The results from the ECD, VCD, and 3D TEM for the investigated chirality at different length scales suggest the homochiral evolution in the self-assembly of the BCPs*. For chiral polylactides, twisted lamellae in crystalline banded spherulite can be formed by dense packing scheme and effective interactions upon helical chains from self-assembly. The handedness of the twisted lamella can be determined by using rotation experiment of polarized light microscopy (PLM). Similar to the self-assembly of BCPs*, the examined results suggest the homochiral evolution in the crystallized chiral polylactides. The results presented in this Account demonstrate the notable progress in the spectral and morphological determination for the examination of molecular, conformational, and hierarchical chirality in self-assembled twisted superstructures of chiral polymers and helical phases of block copolymers and suggest the attainability of homochiral evolution in the self-assembly of chiral homopolymers and BCPs*. The suggested methodologies for the understanding of the mechanisms of the chirality transfer at different length scales provide the approaches to give Supporting Information for disclosing the mysteries of the homochiral evolution from molecular level.

Supramolecular Helical Systems: Helical Assemblies of Small Molecules, Foldamers, and Polymers with Chiral Amplification and Their Functions

In this review, we describe the recent advances in supramolecular helical assemblies formed from chiral and achiral small molecules, oligomers (foldamers), and helical and nonhelical polymers from the viewpoints of their formations with unique chiral phenomena, such as amplification of chirality during the dynamic helically assembled processes, properties, and specific functionalities, some of which have not been observed in or achieved by biological systems. In addition, a brief historical overview of the helical assemblies of small molecules and remarkable progress in the synthesis of single-stranded and multistranded helical foldamers and polymers, their properties, structures, and functions, mainly since 2009, will also be described.

Remarkable stimulation of emission quenching on a clay surface

Tetra-cationic pyrene derivative (Py(4+)) and tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) (Ru(2+)) were hybridized onto the surface of a synthesized clay. We observed the remarkable stimulation of excited Py(4+) emission quenching on the clay surface, with a very large apparent quenching rate constant (kq = 7.4 ± 0.7 × 10(15) L mol(-1) s(-1)).

Fabrication of a multi-charge generable poly(phenyl isocyanide)-block-poly(3-hexylthiophene) rod–rod conjugated copolymer

A facile construction of diverse polymeric nanostructures was reported by simple quaternization reaction and UV irradiation starting from the same rod-rod conjugated PPI(-DMAENBA)-b-P3HT) diblock copolymers, which were prepared by sequential living copolymerization of PI and 3HT in one-pot.

Discrimination between alkyl and aryl substituents of chiral monoamines by m-phthalic diamide-linked zinc bisporphyrinates

m-Phthalic diamide-linked zinc bisporphyrinates can not only determine the absolute configuration of monoamines but also distinguish between alkyl and aryl substituents of chiral monoamines.