Water-Regulated Evolution of Inversion, Reinversion, and Amplification of Circularly Polarized Luminescence of Supramolecular Organogels Based on Glutamide-Cyanostilbene Amphiphile

Water incorporated with supramolecular building blocks in organic solvents can play a key role in the circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) inversion and amplification of supramolecular assemblies. Herein, we demonstrate that fine-tuning the water content regulated the assembly structure evolution and made the circular dichroism and CPL sign of the system undergo intriguing inversion, reinversion, and amplification processes based on a unique and interesting glutamide-cyanostilbene system, as supported by morphology, spectroscopic observations, and time-dependent density functional theory calculation.

Impact of Temperature on the Chiroptical Properties of Thin Films of Chiral Thiophene-based Oligomers

According to the theoretical model based on the Mueller matrix approach, the experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) for thin films of chiral organic dyes can be expressed as the sum of several contributions, two of which are the most significant: 1) an intrinsic component (CDiso) invariant upon sample orientation, reflecting the molecular and/or supramolecular chirality, due to 3D-chiral nanoscopic structures; 2) a non-reciprocal component (LDLB) which inverts its sign upon sample flipping, which arises from the interaction of linear dichroism and linear birefringence in locally anisotropic domains, expression of 2D-chiral micro/mesoscopic structures. In this work, we followed in parallel through ECD and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) the temperature evolution of the supramolecular arrangements of thin films of five structurally related chiral thiophene-based oligomers with different LDLB/CDiso ratio. By increasing the temperature, regardless of phase transitions observed by DSC analysis, systems with strong CDiso revealed no changes in the ECD spectrum, while compounds with dominant LDLB contribution underwent a gradual (and reversible) reduction of (apparent) ECD signals. These findings demonstrated that the concomitant occurrence of intrinsic and non-reciprocal components in the ECD spectrum of thin films of chiral organic dyes is strictly correlated with solid-state organizations of different stability.

Chiral diketopyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-based oligothiophenes: Synthesis and characterization of aggregated states in solution and thin films

In this work, we synthesized a family of three structurally related chiral oligothiophenes containing a 1,4-diketo-3,6-diarylpyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole (DPP) unit as the central core; functionalized with the same (S)-3,7-dimethyl-1-octyl chains on the nitrogen atoms of lactam moieties, they only differ in the number of lateral thiophene units. The aggregation modes of these π-conjugated chiral systems were evaluated by means of UV-Vis absorption and ECD spectroscopies in conditions of solution aggregation (CHCl3 /MeOH mixtures) and as thin films, describing in particular the impact of the π-conjugation length on the chiroptical properties. Interestingly, we found that the variable number of thiophene units attached to the DPP core affects not only the propensity to aggregation but also the aggregates' helicity. ECD revealed information about the supramolecular arrangement of these molecules, that one would not obtain by using conventional optical spectroscopy and microscopy techniques. Thin film samples revealed very different aggregation modes with respect to solution aggregates, casting doubts on the common assumption that these latter may serve as simple models of the former ones.

Self-assembly of chiral diketopyrrolopyrrole chromophores giving supramolecular chains in monolayers and twisted microtapes

Chiral diketopyrrolopyrroles appended with enantiomeric ethyl lactate functions through an ether linkage to the aryl backbone of the chromophore were synthesized via the Mitsunobu reaction. The molecules have good solubility and excellent optical properties, high molar absorption coefficients, and fluorescence quantum yields. Helical aggregates with circular dichroism arising from the supramolecular arrangement are seen in both solution and thin films, and the aggregates also display circularly polarized luminescence (glum  ≈ ±0.1). The molecules assemble to give monolayers on graphite and precipitate from solution forming supramolecular twisted tapes hundreds of microns long.

Chiral Bis(tetrathiafulvalene)-1,2-cyclohexane-diamides

Chiral bis(TTF) diamides have been obtained in good yields (54-74%) from 1,2-cyclohexane-diamine and the corresponding TTF acyl chlorides. The (R,R)-1 and (S,S)-1 enantiomers have been characterized by circular dichroism and the racemic form by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The neutral racemic bis(TTF)-diamide shows the formation of a pincer-like framework in the solid state, thanks to the intramolecular S···S interactions. The chemical oxidation in a solution using FeCl₃ provides stable oxidized species, while the electrocrystallization experiments provided radical cation salts. In particular, single-crystal resistivity measurements on the racemic donor with AsF₆^- as a counterion demonstrate semiconductor behavior in this material. The DFT and TD-DFT calculations support the structural and chiroptical features of these new chiral TTF donors.

Self-Assembly of Peptide Hierarchical Helical Arrays with Sequence-Encoded Circularly Polarized Luminescence

Self-assembled peptide materials with sequence-encoded properties have attracted great interest. Despite their intrinsic chirality, the generation of circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) based on the self-assembly of simple peptides has been rarely reported. Here, we report the self-assembly of peptides into hierarchical helical arrays (HHAs) with controlled supramolecular handedness. The HHAs can emit full-color CPL signals after the incorporation of various achiral fluorescent molecules, and the g_lum value is 40 times higher than that of the CPL signal from the solutions. By simply changing the amino acid sequence of the peptides, CPL signals with opposite handedness can be generated within the HHAs. The peptide HHAs can provide hydrophobic pockets to accommodate the fluorescent molecules with helical arrangement through strong aromatic stacking interactions, which are responsible for the CPL signals. This work provides a pathway to construct highly ordered chiral materials, which have broad applications in the chiroptical field.

Rational Fabrication of Multiple Dimensional Assemblies from Tryptophan-Based Racemate

Fabricating structural complex assemblies from simple amino acid-based derivatives is attracting great research interests due to their easy accessibility and preparation. However, the morphological regulation of racemates (an equimolar mixture of enantiomers) were largely overlooked. In this work, through rational modulation of kinetic and thermodynamic parameters, we achieved multiple dimensional architectures employing tryptophan-based racemate (RPWM). Upon assembling, 1D bundled nanofibers, 2D lamellar nanostructure and 3D urchin-like microflowers could be obtained depending on the solvents used. The corresponding morphology evolutions were successfully illustrated by changing the enantiomeric excess (ee) value. Moreover, for RPWM, uniform 0D nanospheres were formed in H 2 O under 4 ℃, which could spontaneously convert into lamella under ambient temperature. Taking advantages of its temperature-responsive phase change behavior, RPWM assemblies exhibited excellent removal efficiency for organic dye RhB, and could be reused for several consecutive cycles without significant changes in its removal performance. Taken together, it's rational to envision that the engineering of racemates assembly pathways can greatly increase the robustness in a wide variety of supramolecular materials and further lead to their blooming versatile applications.

Large Synthetic Molecule that either Folds or Aggregates through Weak Supramolecular Interactions Determined by Solvent

Weak noncovalent interactions between large disclike molecules in poorly solvating media generally lead to the formation of fibers where the molecules stack atop one another. Here, we show that a particular chiral spacing group between large aromatic moieties, which usually lead to columnar stacks, in this case gives rise to an intramolecularly folded structure in relatively polar solvents, but in very apolar solvents forms finite aggregates. The molecule that displays this behavior has a C 3 symmetric benzene-1,3,5-tris(3,3'-diamido-2,2'-bipyridine) (BTAB) core with three metalloporphyrin units appended to it through short chiral spacers. Quite well-defined chromophore arrangements are evident by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy of this compound in solution, where clear exciton coupled bands of porphyrins are observed. In more polar solvents where the molecules are dispersed, a relatively weak CD signal is observed as a result of intramolecular folding, a feature confirmed by molecular modeling. The intramolecular folding was confirmed by measuring the CD of a C 2 symmetric analogue. The C 3 symmetric BTAB cores that would normally be expected to stack in a chiral arrangement in apolar solvents show no indication of CD, suggesting that there is no transfer of chirality through it (although the expected planar conformation of the 2,2'-bipyridine unit is confirmed by NMR spectroscopy). The incorporation of the porphyrins on the 3,3'-diamino-2,2'-bipyridine moiety spaced by a chiral unit leaves the latter incapable of assembling through supramolecular π-π stacking. Rather, modeling indicates that the three metalloporphyrin units interact, thanks to van der Waals interactions, favoring their close interactions over that of the BTAB units. Atomic force microscopy shows that, in contrast to other examples of molecules with the same core, disclike aggregates (rather than fibrillar one dimensional aggregates) are favored by the C 3 symmetric molecule. The closed structures are formed through nondirectional interlocking of porphyrin rings. The chiral spacer between the rigid core and the porphyrin moieties is undoubtedly important in determining the outcome in polar or less polar solvents, as modeling shows that this joint in the molecule has two favored conformations that render the molecule relatively flat or convex.

Kinetic Control of a Self-Assembly Pathway towards Hidden Chiral Microcoils

Manipulating the self-assembly pathway is essentially important in the supramolecular synthesis of organic nano- and microarchitectures. Herein, we design a series of photoisomerizable chiral molecules, and realize precise control over pathway complexity with external light stimuli. The hidden single-handed microcoils, rather than the straight microribbons through spontaneous assembly, are obtained through a kinetically controlled pathway. The competition between molecular interactions in metastable photostationary intermediates gives rise to a variety of molecular packing and thereby the possibility of chirality transfer from molecules to supramolecular assemblies.

Multivalent Dendrimers and their Differential Recognition of Short Single-Stranded DNAs of Various Length and Sequence

Polycationic dendrimers were generated through simple and versatile reversible amine/aldehyde-imine chemistry. The inherent CD spectroscopic signal arising from the helical structures of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) undergoes a dramatic amplification in the presence of the synthesised polycationic dendrimers. Compared to the first-generation core molecule, the second-generation dendrimer shows high spectroscopic responses upon chiral recognition of short ssDNA, owing to the combination of self-assembly and multivalency effects. The maximum signal variation is reached at the molar ratio at which the ratio between the negative charges in ssDNA balance the positive charges of the dendrimers, thus the approach enables differential recognition of ssDNAs of different lengths. Altogether, these results accelerate the simple and systematic discovery of efficient adaptive molecules for biomimetic recognition of ssDNA with high accuracy.

Room temperature chiral reorganization of interfacial assembly of achiral double-decker phthalocyanine

Chiral reorganization with amplification of the Cotton effect is achieved at room temperature and atmospheric pressure in the solid-state.

Enhanced single-ion magnetic and ferroelectric properties of mononuclear Dy(iii) enantiomeric pairs through the coordination role of chiral ligands

The structures and properties of two mononuclear Dy(iii) enantiomeric pairs were dramatically controlled by crystallization temperature; the enantiomeric pair with coordinated chiral N,N'-donor ligands exhibits enhanced single-ion magnetic, ferroelectric and chiroptical properties with respect to the other one with protonated chiral N,N'-donor ligands.

Distinguishing between Mechanical and Electrostatic Interaction in Single Pass Multi Frequency Electrostatic Force Microscopy Measurements on a Molecular Material

Single-pass electrostatic force microscopy is postulated as one of the most advanced techniques in terms of spatial resolution and fastness in data acquisition for the study of electrostatic phenomena at the nanoscale. However, crosstalk anomalies, in which mechanical interactions combine with tip-sample electrostatic forces, are still a major issue to overcome, specifically in soft and biological samples. In this paper we propose a novel method based on bimodal-atomic force microscopy to distinguish mechanical crosstalk from electrostatic images. The method is based in the comparison of bimodal AFM images with electrostatic ones, where pure mechanical interaction can be discerned from a mixture of mechanical and electrostatic interactions. The proposed method is optimized and demonstrated using a supramolecular charge transfer material. Finally, the method is used as a tool to depict different crosstalk levels in tetrathiafulvalene-based (TTF) assemblies, discerning between electrical and mechanical interactions. This kind of observation is important for obtaining accurate descriptions of charge distribution in samples made from organic and molecular layers and materials.

Self-Assembly of Hierarchical Chiral Nanostructures Based on Metal-Benzimidazole Interactions: Chiral Nanofibers, Nanotubes, and Microtubular Flowers

Controlled hierarchical self-assembly of synthetic molecules into chiral nanoarchitectures to mimic those biological chiral structures is of great importance. Here, a low-molecular-weight organogelator containing a benzimidazole moiety conjugated with an amphiphilic l-glutamic amide has been designed and its self-assembly into various hierarchical chiral nanostructures is investigated. Upon gel formation in organic solvents, 1D chiral nanostructure such as nanofiber and nanotube are obtained depending on the solvents. In the presence of transition and rare earth metal ions, hierarchical chiral nanostructures are formed. Specifically, the addition of TbCl3 , EuCl3 , and AgNO3 leads to nanofiber structures, while the addition of Cu(NO3 )2 , Tb(NO3 )3 , or Eu(NO3 )3 provides the microflower structures and microtubular flower structures, respectively. While Eu(III) and Tb(III)-containing microtubular flowers keep the chirality, the Cu(II)-coordinated microflowers lose chirality. More interestingly, the nanofibers formed by the gelator coordinated with Eu(III) or Tb(III) ions show not only the supramolecular chirality but also the circularly polarized luminescence.

Localization versus Delocalization in Chiral Single Component Conductors of Gold Bis(dithiolene) Complexes

The first examples of chiral single component conductors are reported. Both (S,S) and (R,R) enantiomers of 5,6-dimethyl-5,6-dihydro-1,4-dithiin-2,3-dithiolate (dm-dddt) ligand have been used to prepare anionic metal bis(dithiolene) complexes formulated as ([(n-Bu)4N][M(dm-dddt)2] (M = Au, Ni), which are isostructural according to single crystal X-ray analysis. Single crystal transport measurements indicate semiconducting behavior for the anionic radical Ni complexes, with low room temperature conductivity values and high activation energies. Electrocrystallization experiments provided neutral [M(dm-dddt)2] (M = Au, Ni) complexes. The neutral radical gold compounds show intermolecular S···S interactions in the solid state giving rise to layers interconnected through weak C-H···S hydrogen bonds. The most peculiar structural feature concerns a dissymmetry between the two dithiolene moieties, while the nickel counterpart is symmetric. Single crystal resistivity measurements show thermally activated behavior for the open-shell gold complexes, with room temperature conductivity values of 0.02-0.04 S·cm(-1) and activation energies strongly influenced by hydrostatic pressure. A thorough theoretical study on nickel anion radical and gold neutral radical bis(dithiolene) complexes applied to the chiral complexes [M(dm-dddt)2] (M = Au, Ni(-)) and to a series of previously reported compounds addressed the issue of symmetry versus asymmetry from an electronic coupling perspective between the two dithiolene ligands. It results that neutral gold complexes with dithiolene ligands without extended delocalization are Class II mixed-valent compounds in the Robin and Day classification, presenting an inherent tendency toward asymmetric structures, which can be however modulated by the intermolecular organization in the solid state.

Supramolecular rulers enabling selective detection of pure short ssDNA via chiral self-assembly

TPA propellers appear to be compatible with the general requirements for amplified chiral supramolecular rulers used to determine the number of base pairs of short ssDNAs.

Spiral assembly of amphiphilic cytarabine prodrug assisted by probe sonication: Enhanced therapy index for leukemia

In order to overcome the drawbacks of cytarabine (Ara-C), such as low lipophilicity as well as short plasma half-life and rapid inactivation, a new derivative of Ara-C was designed by incorporation into the non-toxic material, oleic acid (OA), obtaining an amphiphilic small molecular weight prodrug (OA-Ara). By a simple amidation reaction, OA-Ara was synthesized successfully with a yield up to 61.32%. It was for the first time to see that the novel prodrug molecules could assemble into the unexpectedly spiral assembly under probe ultrasonication in aqueous solution. The oil/water partition coefficient (Ko/w) and the permeability of cell membrane of the prodrug were significantly increased compared with Ara-C molecules. In addition, OA-Ara molecules were stable in various pH solutions and artificial digestives, which indicated that it could be administrated orally. Cell viability assay showed that the prodrug displayed much higher antiproliferative effect against K562 and HL60 cells due to its improvement of the lipophilicity and penetrability of cell membrane. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing structural modification to broaden the clinic application of Ara-C and thus provide an effective new therapeutic alternative for leukemia.

Regioselective synthesis of chiral dimethyl-bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene sulfones

Enantiopure (R,R) and (S,S)-dimethyl-bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene monosulfones have been synthesized by the aerial oxidation of the chiral dithiolates generated from the propionitrile-protected precursors. Both enantiomers crystallize in the orthorhombic chiral space group P2₁2₁2₁. They show a boat-type conformation of the TTF moiety, a rather rigid dithiin sulfone ring and the methyl groups in a bisequatorial conformation. Cyclic voltammetry measurements indicate fully reversible oxidation in radical cation and dication species.

A novel extended N-methyl monopyrrolotetrathiafulvalene based on 2-methylene-4,5-bis(methylthio)-1,3-dithiole

The title compound was prepared via a cross-coupling reaction and its crystal structure has been determined. It crystallized in the triclinic space group P-1 with cell parameters: a = 8.552(2) Å, b = 11.310(2) Å, c = 16.150(3) Å, α = 109.55(3)°, β = 91.45(3)°, γ = 91.28(3)°, V = 1470.6(5) ų, Z = 2 at 296 K. There is one molecule in the asymmetric unit. In the crystal structure, the neighboring molecules from dimers by weak intermolecular π···π interactions between the pyrrole and tetrathiafulvalene units. The dimers are further linked through C-H···π interactions to generate one-dimensional chains along the [100] direction. The arrangement of the molecules corresponds to an overlap between the HOMO and LUMO.

Revisiting urea-based gelators: strong solvent- and casting-microstructure dependencies and organogel processing using an alumina template

Microstructures obtained from simple gelators prove to be strongly solvent- and casting-dependent. For the first time, a membrane template was used to process a xerogel-type material.

Cooperative supramolecular polymerization: comparison of different models applied on the self-assembly of bis(merocyanine) dyes

Three new molecular building blocks 1 a-c for supramolecular polymerization are described that feature two dipolar merocyanine dyes tethered by p-xylylene spacers. Concentration- and temperature-dependent UV/Vis spectroscopy in chloroform combined with dynamic light scattering, capillary viscosimetry and atomic force microscopy investigations were applied to elucidate the mechanistic features of the self-assembly of these strongly dipolar dyes. Our detailed studies reveal that the self-assembly is very pronounced for bis(merocyanines) 1 a,b bearing linear alkyl chains, but completely absent for bis(merocyanine) 1 c bearing sterically more bulky ethylhexyl substituents. Both temperature- and concentration-dependent UV/Vis data provide unambiguous evidence for a cooperative self-assembly process for bis(merocyanines) 1 a,b, which was analyzed in detail by the Meijer-Schenning-Van-der-Schoot model (applicable to temperature-dependent data) and by the Goldstein-Stryer model (applicable to concentration-dependent data). By combining both methods all parameters of interest to understand the self-assembly process could be derived, including in particular the nucleus size (8-10 monomeric units), the cooperativity factor (ca. 0.006), and the nucleation and elongation constants of about 10(3) and 10(6)  M(-1) in chloroform at room temperature, respectively.