[Ph3C][B(C6F5)4]: A Highly Efficient Metal‐Free Single‐Component Initiator for the Helical‐Sense‐Selective Cationic Copolymerization of Chiral Aryl Isocyanides and Achiral Aryl Isocyanides

Commercially available [Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄] served as a highly efficient metal‐free and single‐component initiator not only for the carbocationic polymerization of polar and bulky aryl isocyanides with extremely high activity up to 1.2×10⁷ g of polymer/(mol_cat. h), but also for the helical‐sense‐selective polymerization of chiral aryl isocyanides and copolymerization with achiral aryl isocyanides to afford high‐molecular‐weight functional poly(aryl isocyanide)s with good solubility as well as AIE characteristics and/or a single‐handed helical conformation.     

基于2,5-二(4′-甲酰基苯基)苯乙烯的螺旋链光学活性聚合物的合成与表征

通过2,5-二溴苯乙烯与对甲酰基苯硼酸的Suzuki偶联反应得到2,5-二(4′-甲酰基苯基)苯乙烯.在催化剂量的冰乙酸存在下,与光学纯的(S)-(-)-α-甲基苄胺或(R)-(+)-α-甲基苄胺发生缩和反应,得到了一对手性非外消旋单体,(+)-2,5-二{4-′[(N-(S)-α-甲基苄亚胺基)次甲基]苯基}苯乙烯和(-)-2,5-二{4′-[(N-(R)-α-甲基苄亚胺基)次甲基]苯基}苯乙烯.以偶氮二异丁腈(AIBN)或过氧化苯甲酰(BPO)为引发剂,经自由基溶液聚合得到光学活性聚合物.比旋光度、紫外-可见吸收光谱以及圆二色光谱研究表明,聚合物主链可能形成了某一方向占优的稳定螺旋构象,且该螺旋构象的旋光方向与单体的旋光方向相反.聚合条件对聚合物的光学活性有很大影响,在极性较大的芳香族溶剂和较高温度下得到的聚合物具有和单体相差更大的比旋光度.侧基的手性基团脱除后,聚合物仍具有一定的旋光性,说明聚合过程中形成的螺旋手性具有一定的记忆效应.     

Helix-sense controlled polymerization of a single phenyl isocyanide enantiomer leading to diastereomeric helical polyisocyanides with opposite helix-sense and cholesteric liquid crystals with opposite twist-sense

We report the unprecedented helix-sense controlled polymerization of enantiomerically pure phenyl isocyanides bearing an l- or d-alanine pendant with a long alkyl chain. The polymerization with an achiral nickel catalyst diastereoselectively proceeds, resulting in either a right- or left-handed helical polymer, whose helix-sense can be controlled by the polymerization solvent and temperature. Both the diastereomeric right- and left-handed helical polymers further self-assemble into lyotropic cholesteric liquid crystals with opposite twist-senses. Consequently, the macromolecular helicity and mesoscopic, supramolecular cholesteric twist can be controlled by the molecular chirality of the pendant of a single enantiomeric phenyl isocyanide through the polymerization under either kinetic or thermodynamic control assisted by hydrogen bonds. High-resolution atomic force microscopy revealed their helical conformations and enabled the determination of the helical sense.     

One-step synthesis of substituted 4,7-bis[alkyl(aryl)imino]-3-oxa-6-thia-1-azaspiro[4.4]nona-1,8-dienes

Alkyl-(aryl) isocyanides react with benzoyl isothiocyanate in the presence of dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylates or dibenzoylacetylene in one-pot to afford highly substituted 4,7-bis[alkyl(aryl)imino]-2-phenyl-3-oxa-6-thia-1-azaspiro[4.4]nona-1,8-dienes, with double insertion of the isocyanide, in 38-45% yields (based on the isocyanide).     

Introducing the Chiral Constrained α-Trifluoromethylalanine in Aib Foldamers to Control,Quantify and Assign the Helical Screw-Sense**

Oligomers of α-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) are achiral peptides that adopt 3₁₀ helical structures with equal population of left- and right-handed conformers. The screw-sense preference of the helical chain may be controlled by a single chiral residue located at one terminus. ¹H and ¹⁹F NMR, X-ray crystallography and circular dichroism studies on new Aib oligomers show that the incorporation of a chiral quaternary α-trifluoromethylalanine at their N-terminus induces a reversal of the screw-sense preference of the 3₁₀-helix compared to that of a non-fluorinated analogue having an l -α-methyl valine residue. This work demonstrates that, among the many particular properties of introducing a trifluoromethyl group into foldamers, its stereo-electronic properties are of major interest to control the helical screw sense. Its use as an easy-to-handle ¹⁹F NMR probe to reliably determine both the magnitude of the screw-sense preference and its sign assignment is also of remarkable interest.     

Crystallization-Driven Asymmetric Helical Assembly of Conjugated Block Copolymers and the Aggregation Induced White-light Emission and Circularly Polarized Luminescence

Controlling the self-assembly morphology of π-conjugated block copolymer is of great interesting. Herein, amphiphilic poly(3-hexylthiophene)-block-poly(phenyl isocyanide)s (P3HT-b-PPI) copolymers composed of π-conjugated P3HT and optically active helical PPI segments were readily prepared. Taking advantage of the crystallizable nature of P3HT and the chirality of the helical PPI segment, crystallization-driven asymmetric self-assembly (CDASA) of the block copolymers lead to the formation of single-handed helical nanofibers with controlled length, narrow dispersity, and well-defined helicity. During the self-assembly process, the chirality of helical PPI was transferred to the supramolecular assemblies, giving the helical assemblies large optical activity. The single-handed helical assemblies of the block copolymers exhibited interesting white-light emission and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL). The handedness and dissymmetric factor of the induced CPL can be finely tuned through the variation on the helicity and length of the helical nanofibers.     

Steric communication of chiral information observed in dendronized polyacetylenes

Structural and retrostructural analysis of helical dendronized polyacetylenes (i.e., self-organizable polyacetylenes containing first generation dendrons or minidendrons as side groups) synthesized by the polymerization of minidendritic acetylenes with [Rh(nbd)Cl]2 (nbd = 2,5-norbornadiene) reveals an approximately 10% change in the average column stratum thickness (l) of the cylindrical macromolecules with a chiral periphery, through which a strong preference for a single-handed screw-sense is communicated. The cylindrical macromolecules reversibly interconvert between a three-dimensional (3D) centered rectangular lattice (Phi r-c,k) exhibiting long-range intracolumnar helical order at lower temperatures and a two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal columnar lattice (Phi h) with short-range helical order at higher temperatures. A polymer containing chiral, nonracemic peripheral alkyl tails is found to have a larger l as compared to the achiral polymers. In methyl cyclohexane solution, the same polymer exhibits an intense signal in circular dichroism (CD) spectra, whose intensity decreases upon heating. The observed change in l indicates that the chiral tails alter the polymer conformation from that of the corresponding polymer with achiral side chains. This change in conformation results in a relatively large free energy difference (DeltaGh) favoring one helix-sense over the other (per monomer residue). The capacity to distort the polymer conformation and corresponding free energy is related to the population of branches in the chiral tails and their distance from the polymer backbone by comparison to recently reported first and second generation dendronized polyphenylacetylenes.     

Enantiomer-selective Living Polymerization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">rac</Emphasis>-Phenyl Isocyanide Using Chiral Palladium Catalyst

We report the polymerization of phenyl isocyanides with the chiral palladium(II) initiating system. The resulting polymers with optically active properties were obtained by polymerization of the racemic isocyanide monomer (rac-1), and enantiomerically unbalanced polymerization of the monomer was found, providing substantial evidence for the enantiomer-selective polymerization of rac-1 mediated through chiral catalyst. A comparison between the enantiomerically pure monomers, 4-isocyanobenzoyl-L-alanine decyl ester (1s) and 4-isocyanobenzoyl-D-alanine decyl ester (1r), revealed a drastic discrepancy in the reactivity ratio of their homopolymerizations. It turned out that the monomer reactivity ratio of 1s was higher than that of 1r with chiral ligands. The results clearly demonstrated the inclination for incorporation of the 1s enantiomer during the polymerization process and thus resulted in the enantiomer-selective polymerization in this system. The effects of the catalyst chirality on the optically active properties of polymerization were investigated, and it was concluded that the formation of higher-ordered conformation with a handed helicity might be attributed to the chiral induction of chiral palladium(II) catalyst. Moreover, the polymers obtained through the enantiomer-selective polymerization of the enantiomerically pure monomer were with a significant improvement of the optical activity if the chirality of the monomer and the catalyst matched with each other.     

Synthesis,characterization, and application of helical polymers

This review mainly describes the asymmetric synthesis of optically active polymers with helical conformation. Bulky methacrylates such as triphenylmethyl methacrylate and 1-phenyldibenzosuberyl methacrylate give one-handed helical and optically active polymers with almost perfectly isotactic main chain conformation by polymerization with chiral anionic initiators. The radical polymerization and copolymerization of these monomers under chiral conditions also afford optically active polymers with prevailing one-handed helicity. N, N-Disubstituted acrylamides also give optically active, helical polymers in the asymmetric anionic polymerization. Optically active polyisocyanates with a prevailing one-handed helical structure have been prepared in the copolymerization of an achiral isocyanate with a small amount of an optically active isocyanate and also in the polymerization of alkyl and aromatic isocyanates with optically active lithium alkoxide or amide compounds. The existence of a stable helical structure for polychloral has been successfully proved with the helical oligomers of chloral. One-handed helical polyisocyanides have been prepared by helix-sense-selective polymerization of bulky isocyanides and also by the cyclopolymerization of a 1, 2-diisocyanobenzene derivative with the Pd complex of a one-handed helical oligomer.     

Grafting polymerization of single‐handed helical poly(phenyl isocyanide)s on graphene oxide and their application in enantioselective separation

We herein report a “grafting from” strategy to immobilize optically active helical poly(phenyl isocyanide)s onto graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets. After covalently bounding alkyne‐Pd(II) initiator onto GO nanosheets, the designed GO/polymer composites P1 @GO and P1 ‐b‐ P2 @GO featuring single‐handed helical poly(phenyl isocyanide)s growing from GO nanosheets were prepared by sequential addition of the chiral and achiral isocyanide monomers. Post‐synthetic hydrolysis rendered P1 ‐b‐ P3 @GO to improve the hydrophilicity. The successful covalent bonding of poly(phenyl isocyanide)s chains onto GO nanosheets was certified by several cross evidences including scan emission microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Circular dichroism spectra proved that the chiral information was introduced through the grafted single‐handed helical polymer chains successfully. In addition, the resulting GO/polymer composites were explored as a chiral additive to induce enantioselective crystallization of racemic organic molecules. Preferential formation of rod‐like L‐alanine crystals was induced by composites bearing right‐handed helical poly(phenyl isocyanide)s. The enantiomeric excess value of the induced crystals reached 76%, displaying the potential in future applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 2092–2103     

1,2,3‐ and 1,2,4‐triazolium salts,pyrazoles, and quinoxalines from diarylnitrilimines and isocyanides: A study of the scope

Formation of the four title compounds has been found to be strongly dependent on substituents: 1,2,3‐Triazolium salts 6 do not arise from nitrilimines 2 that have an electron‐acceptor attached to either the C‐ or the N‐phenyl group. Likewise tert‐butyl and aryl isocyanides do not afford this class of compounds; from the former isocyanide, dequaternization products 7 are obtained instead, whereas from the latter 1,2,4‐triazolium salts 11 are formed. Compounds 11 with tert‐butyl group at the ring are unstable too, giving rise to triazoles 13 . Pyrazole formation (analogues of 14 ) is completely suppressed when both tert‐butyl and aryl isocyanides are used, whereas access to this ring system works best with see‐alkyl isocyanides (the influence of substituents of 2 being almost negligible in this case). Formation of quinoxalines 23 which arise from intermediary 1,2‐diazets 22 by ring expansion is much favoured on employment of 2 that bears a donator substituent at the N‐phenyl group, and under this premise ring closure to 22 is virtually independent on the nature of the isocyanide. Formation of 23 is not observed with 2 having acceptor groups.     

Enantiomer-selective Living Polymerization of rac-Phenyl Isocyanide Using Chiral Palladium Catalyst

We report the polymerization of phenyl isocyanides with the chiral palladium(II) initiating system. The resulting polymers with optically active properties were obtained by polymerization of the racemic isocyanide monomer(rac-1), and enantiomerically unbalanced polymerization of the monomer was found, providing substantial evidence for the enantiomer-selective polymerization of rac-1 mediated through chiral catalyst. A comparison between the enantiomerically pure monomers, 4-isocyanobenzoyl-L-alanine decyl ester(1 s) and 4-isocyanobenzoyl-D-alanine decyl ester(1 r), revealed a drastic discrepancy in the reactivity ratio of their homopolymerizations.It turned out that the monomer reactivity ratio of 1 s was higher than that of 1 r with chiral ligands. The results clearly demonstrated the inclination for incorporation of the 1 s enantiomer during the polymerization process and thus resulted in the enantiomer-selective polymerization in this system. The effects of the catalyst chirality on the optically active properties of polymerization were investigated,and it was concluded that the formation of higher-ordered conformation with a handed helicity might be attributed to the chiral induction of chiral palladium(II) catalyst. Moreover, the polymers obtained through the enantiomer-selective polymerization of the enantiomerically pure monomer were with a significant improvement of the optical activity if the chirality of the monomer and the catalyst matched with each other.     

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.     

Studies on poly(iminomethylenes)

A variety of simple alkyl and aryl isocyanides have been polymerized using 0.5% NiCl₂ in ethanol as a catalyst. The resulting poly(iminomethylenes) have been characterized by carbon-13 NMR spectroscopy and their polystyrene-equivalent molecular weights have been determined by gel permeation chromatography. Straight chain aliphatic isocyanides having from three to ten carbon atoms in the chain form readily solyble polymers having molecular weights (M_w) in the general range 10,000 to 30,000. Neopentyl isocyanide unlike tert-butyl isocyanide forms an insoluble polymer. A number of new soluble aryl isocyanide polymers have been obtained. However, aryl isocyanides having a single alkyl substituent (CH₃, C₂H₅, CF₃) in the ortho position give only insoluble polymers, whereas aryl isocyanides having alkyl substituents in both ortho positions (e.g., 2,6-(CH₃)₂C₆H₃NC and 2,4,6-(CH₃)₃C₆H₂NC) fail to polymerize under these conditions. The highest molecular weight soluble aryl isocyanide homopolymer is obtained from 3-CH₃OC₆H₄NC(M_w = 26,000). The trimethylsilyl substituted isocyanide (CH₃)₃SiCH₂CH₂NC has been obtained from LiCH₂NC and (CH₃)SiCH₂Cl and gives a brown soluble homopolymer with a molecular weight (M_w) of 19,000.     

Design and Synthesis of Isocyanide Ligands for Catalysis: Application to Rh‐Catalyzed Hydrosilylation of Ketones

New isocyanide ligands with meta‐terphenyl backbones were synthesized. 2,6‐Bis[3,5‐bis(trimethylsilyl)phenyl]‐4‐methylphenyl isocyanide exhibited the highest rate acceleration in rhodium‐catalyzed hydrosilylation among other isocyanide and phosphine ligands tested in this study. ¹H NMR spectroscopic studies on the coordination behavior of the new ligands to [Rh(cod)₂]BF₄ indicated that 2,6‐bis[3,5‐bis(trimethylsilyl)phenyl]‐4‐methylphenyl isocyanide exclusively forms the biscoordinated rhodium–isocyanide complex, whereas less sterically demanding isocyanide ligands predominantly form tetracoordinated rhodium–isocyanide complexes. FTIR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopic studies on the hydrosilylation reaction mixture with the rhodium–isocyanide catalyst showed that the major catalytic species responsible for the hydrosilylation activity is the Rh complex coordinated with the isocyanide ligand. DFT calculations of model compounds revealed the higher affinity of isocyanides for rhodium relative to phosphines. The combined effect of high ligand affinity for the rhodium atom and the bulkiness of the ligand, which facilitates the formation of a catalytically active, monoisocyanide–rhodium species, is proposed to account for the catalytic efficiency of the rhodium–bulky isocyanide system in hydrosilylation.     

Preparation of Single-handed Helical and C-Shaped 3-Aminophenol-formaldehyde Resin Nanotubes and Single-handed Helical Carbonaceous Nanotubes

Single-handed helical and C-shaped 3-aminophenol-formaldehyde resin nanotubes were prepared via a supramolecular templating approach. The chiral templates and 3-aminophenol were initially organized into helical nanoribbons, followed by the adsorption of formaldehyde onto the surfaces of the helical nanoribbons. Subsequent to polymerization and further thermosetting of the resin oligomers, 3-aminophenol-formaldehyde resin nanotubes were obtained after removing the templates. When low amounts of 3-aminophenol were added, straight C-shaped 3-aminophenol-formaldehyde resin nanotubes were obtained. Increasing the amount of added 3-aminophenol led to the formation of single-handed helical nanotubes instead. When the single-handed helical resin nanotubes were carbonized at 900℃ under Ar, single-handed helical carbonaceous nanotubes were obtained. Raman spectrum indicates that this carbon is predominantly amorphous. Circular dichroism spectra illustrate that both the helical resin nanotubes and the carbonaceous nanotubes exhibit optical activity. This work indicates that the added amount and the edge-adsorption mode of the precursors on the templates determine the final morphology and chirality of the products.     

Flaws in foldamers: conformational uniformity and signal decay in achiral helical peptide oligomers

Although foldamers, by definition, are extended molecular structures with a well-defined conformation, minor conformers must be populated at least to some extent in solution. We present a quantitative analysis of these minor conformers for a series of helical oligomers built from achiral but helicogenic α-amino acids. By measuring the chain length dependence or chain position dependence of NMR or CD quantities that measure screw-sense preference in a helical oligomer, we quantify values for the decay constant of a conformational signal as it passes through the molecular structure. This conformational signal is a perturbation of the racemic mixture of M and P helices that such oligomers typically adopt by the inclusion of an N or C terminal chiral inducer. We show that decay constants may be very low (<1% signal loss per residue) in non-polar solvents, and we evaluate the increase in decay constant that results in polar solvents, at higher temperatures, and with more conformationally flexible residues such as Gly. Decay constants are independent of whether the signal originates from the N or the C terminus. By interpreting the decay constant in terms of the probability with which conformations containing a screw-sense reversal are populated, we quantify the populations of these alternative minor conformers within the overall ensemble of secondary structures adopted by the foldamer. We deduce helical persistence lengths for Aib polymers that allow us to show that in a non-polar solvent a peptide helix, even in the absence of chiral residues, may continue with the same screw sense for approximately 200 residues.     

Synthesis of polysubstituted furans via a novel and efficient heterocyclization approach

A new catalyst-free, one-pot synthesis of polysubstituted furans is reported. A series of [4-(4-aryl)-5-(cyclohexylamino)-2-(pyridin-2-yl)furan-3-yl](pyridin-2-yl)methanones was synthesized via multicomponent reaction of 1,3-di(pyridin-2-yl)propane-1,3-dione, aryl aldehydes, and cyclohexyl isocyanide.     

（＋）-甲基丙烯酸{2,5-双[4′-（（S）-2-甲基丁氧基）苯基]苯基}酯的合成及其螺旋选择性自由基聚合

设计合成了手性单体（＋）-甲基丙烯酸{2,5-双[4′-（（S）-2-甲基丁氧基）苯基]苯基}酯,并进行了自由基溶液聚合.相比于单体,聚合物的比旋光度有显著的同向增长,且在其圆二色光谱上对应于三联苯侧基以及酯基的吸收区域呈现明显的Cotton效应,说明其主链可能采取某一旋向占优的螺旋构象.研究了聚合条件对聚合物旋光性质的影响.结果表明,采用极性大的芳香族溶剂或增加单体浓度有利于获得旋光度大的聚合物;随聚合温度增加,聚合物旋光度先增加后减小,在80℃时聚合达到最大值.该聚合物比甲基丙烯酸三芳基甲基酯类光学活性螺旋链聚合物具有更好的化学结构稳定性和立体结构稳定性.     

Poly(iminomethylene) copolymers

Copolymerization of an isocyanide giving an insoluble homopolymer with another isocyanide giving a soluble homopolymer in ethanol solution using 0.5–1% of a nickel (II) catalyst in many cases gives a soluble copolymer containing pendant groups arising from both isocyanides. Thus, methyl isocyanide, which gives an insoluble homopolymer, gives chloroform-soluble copolymers incorporating 39–44% of pendant methyl groups when copolymerized with equimolar amounts of tert-butyl isocyanide or several aryl isocyanides. Similarly, cyclohexyl isocyanide, which also gives an insoluble homopolymer, gives chloroform-soluble copolymers incorporating 43–59% of pendant cyclohexyl groups when copolymerized with equimolar amounts of several aryl isocyanides. The compositions, chloroform solubilities, and polystyrene equivalent molecular weights are given for 33 different copolymers obtained by copolymerizations of various equimolar binary mixtures of the monomers CH₃NC, (CH₃)₃CNC, cyclo-C₆H₁₁NC, C₂H₅NC, CH₃CH?CHNC,(CH₃)₂C?CHNC, 2,4,6-(CH₃)₃C₆H₂CH?CHNC, C₆H₅CH(CH₃)NC, CH₂?CHNC, (CH₃)₃CCH?CHNC, C₆H₅NC, 2- and 4-CH₃C₆H₄NC and 2-, 3-, 4-CH₃OC₆H₄NC using the nickel (II) catalyst system.