Characterization of thin polymer and biopolymer layers by ellipsometry and evanescent field technology

The characterization of sensitive layers is the prerequisite for the optimization of chemical and biochemical sensors. The application of SE (Spectral Ellipsometry) and SPR (Surface Plasmon Resonance) as methods of characterization of such sensitive layers is discussed. In combination with infrared spectroscopy, the properties of polymer networks, micro-porous polymers, liquid crystals, and biomimetic polymers can be examined regarding their applicability for optical sensing. Apart from the basic principles regarding the characterization approaches, applications in the area of environmental sensing, optimization of hydrogel layers for antigen/antibody interaction, and discrimination of analytes in homologous series of alcohols are discussed. The effects of analytes on the phase transition in combination with disordering of liquid crystals are given.     

Highly stable olefin-Cu(I) coordination oligomers and polymers

Highly stable Cu(I)-olefin coordination oligomers and polymers have been successfully prepared and applied to construct metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with interesting physical and chemical functions in recent years. In this review, we present the olefin-Cu(I) coordination oligomers and polymers and their novel physical properties. From structure to functions, particular emphasis is placed on the coordination and organometallic chemistry of olefin-Cu(I) coordination oligomers and polymers, their structures and potential applications as solids possessing unusual physical functional properties such as electrochemical, chiral separation, fluorescent sensing and ferroelectricity.     

Construction of Supramolecular Chirality in Polymer Systems:Chiral Induction,Transfer and Application

Chirality,commonly found in organisms,biomolecules and nature such as L-amino acids and D-sugars,has been extensively studied in chemistry and biomedical science.Hence,the demand for simple and efficient construction of chiral structures,especially chiral polymers,has been rapidly growing due to their potential applications in chemosensors,asymmetric catalysis and biological materials.However,most chiral polymers reported are prepared directly from chiral monomers/chiral catalysts,the corresponding strategies usually involve tedious and expensive design and synthesis.Fortunately,chirality induction strategies (such as circularly polarized light,chiral solvation and chiral gelation etc.) have been known to be highly versatile and efficient in producing chirality from achiral polymers.In this feature article,the current research on chirality induction,transfer and application in achiral polymer systems is summarized.Furthermore,this article discusses some basic concepts,seminal studies,recent advances,the structural design principles,as well as perspectives in the construction and applications of chiral polymers derived from achiral monomers,with the hope to attract more interest from researchers and further advance the development of chiral chemistry.     

合成高分子作为手性固定相在高效液相色谱中的应用

具有旋光活性的合成高分子基于它的手性结构而具有广泛的应用,其中最实际和广泛的应用是在高效液相色谱中作为手性固定相来拆分对映异构体,目前已成为合成化学、分析化学以及制药化学领域必不可少的分离材料.本文简要介绍了高效液相色谱手性固定相拆分法,综述了合成高分子,包括加聚物特别是聚甲基丙烯酸酯类和聚甲基丙烯酰胺类聚合物、聚酰胺...     

Detection and amplification of chirality by helical polymers

A unique feature of synthetic helical polymers for the detection and amplification of chirality is briefly described in this article. In sharp contrast to host-guest and supramolecular systems that use small synthetic receptor molecules, chirality can be significantly amplified in a helical polymer, such as poly(phenylacetylene)s with functional pendants, which enable the detection of a tiny imbalance in biologically important chiral molecules through a noncovalent bonding interaction with high cooperativity. The rational design of polymeric receptors can be possible by using chromophoric helical polymers combined with functional groups as the pendants, which target particular chiral guest molecules for developing a highly efficient chirality-sensing system. The chirality sensing of other small molecular and supramolecular systems is also briefly described for comparison.     

BINAP嵌入的多孔有机聚合物在多相不对称氢化反应中的作用

手性多孔有机聚合物具有较高的稳定性和催化活性,广泛用于多相不对称催化中.目前研究多集中在合成具有微孔结构的聚合物,而少有具有多种孔道结构(包含介孔和微孔)的聚合物的报道.之前我们报道了乙烯基修饰的BINAP配体,(S)-5,5'-divinyl-BINAP,将其与不同单体共聚后得到了一系列具有不同孔结构的有机聚合物.其负载的Rh基催化剂在苯乙烯不对称氢甲酰化反应中,表现出比均相更高的产物对映体选择性.本文采用不同的溴代步骤,合成了(S)-4,4'-divinyl-BINAP配体.将这两种具有乙烯基官能团的手性配体按相同的摩尔比与二乙烯基苯(DVB)共聚,得到两种不同的有机聚合物.负载[RuCl2(benzene)]2后,分别得到Ru/4-BINAP@POPs和Ru/5-BINAP@POPs-1.采用一锅法合成了催化剂Ru/5-BINAP@POPs-2;以[RuCl2(p-cyme)]2和RuCl3分别合成了Ru/5-BINAP@POPs-3和Ru/5-BINAP@POPs-4催化剂.N2物理吸附结果显示,Ru/4-BINAP@POPs和Ru/5-BINAP@POPs-1催化剂具有相似的孔道结构;而采用一锅法合成的Ru/5-BINAP@POPs-2催化剂的介孔孔径较大.4-BINAP@POPs和5-BINAP@POPs聚合物的13C核磁显示,其均在145,137和128 ppm处有明显的吸收峰,可归结为萘环和苯环上的碳振动峰;在44.0 ppm处的峰归属为亚甲基上的碳振动峰;31P核磁显示,在聚合物中P基本没有被氧化.将所得到的Ru/POPs催化剂应用于乙酰乙酸甲酯的多相不对称加氢反应中,Ru/5-BINAP@POPs-1催化剂具有与Ru/4-BINAP@POPs更快的反应速率.在相同反应条件下,催化剂活性大小为Ru/5-BINAP@POPs-1>Ru/5-BINAP@POPs-3>Ru/5-BINAP@POPs-4>Ru/5-BINAP@POPs-2.另外Ru/5-BINAP@POPs-1催化剂对β-酮酸酯有着较好的底物适应性,且在釜式反应中可循环使用6次而活性基本不变.分析发现,使用前后的催化剂均没有明显的Ru–Ru键的存在.表明Ru金属高度分散于催化剂上,且具有较高的稳定性,金属不易聚集,这也是其具有高活性和稳定性的原因.     

手性配位聚合物的构筑及其应用

手性配位聚合物因其结构多样性、可调控性以及潜在的多功能性,已经成为当前化学和材料学的研究热点。在合成中,可以通过选择特定的非手性配体、手性配体、手性溶剂或手性模板剂等来构筑手性配位聚合物。此外,还可以选择特定的金属离子赋予目标手性配位聚合物光、电、磁、催化和非线性光学等性能。本文详细综述了近年来纯手性配位聚合物的合成方法,以及在手性分离、手性催化、非线性光学、铁电和多铁等领域的应用研究进展。最后,对手性配位聚合物的合成方法及应用前景进行了展望。     

Recent advances of application of porous molecular cages for enantioselective recognition and separation

Porous materials with well‐defined pore structures have received considerable attention in the past decades due to their unique structures and wide applications. Most porous materials such as zeolites, metal‐organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks, and porous organic polymers are extended to infinite frameworks or networks by robust covalent or coordination bonds. Porous molecular cages composed of discrete molecules with permanent cavities are an emerging class of porous material and the discrete molecules assemble into solids by weak intermolecular interaction. In comparison to porous extended solids such as metal‐organic frameworks and covalent organic frameworks, porous molecular cage solids are generally soluble in organic solvents thus allowing solution processing, making them more convenient to apply in many fields. This review mainly focuses on the recent advances of application of porous molecular cages (porous organic cages and metal‐organic cages) for enantioselective recognition and separation from 2010 to present, including gas chromatography, capillary electrochromatography, chiral fluorescent recognition, chiral potentiometric sensing, and enantioselective adsorption. Furthermore, the two important family members of porous molecular cages, porous organic cages and metal‐organic cages, are also discussed.     

SYNTHESIS OF CHIRAL CONJUGATED POLYBINAPHTHYLS BY SONOGASHIRA REACTION

Chiral polymers P-1 and P-2 were synthesized by the polymerization of （R）-3,3＇-diiodo-2,2＇-bisbutoxy-1,1＇- binaphthyl （M- 1 ） with 2,5-di（4-ethynylphenyl）- 1,3,4-oxadiazole （M-3） and （R）-3,3＇-diethylnyl-2,2＇-bisbutoxy- 1,1 ＇-binaphthyl （M-2） with 1,2-di（4-bromophenyl）acetylene （M-4） under Sonogashira reaction, respectively. Both monomers and polymers were analyzed by NMR, MS, FT-IR, UV-Vis spectroscopy, DSC-TGA, fluorescence spectroscopy, GPC and CD spectroscopy. CD spectra of P-1 and P-2 are similar due to the same chiral center units and main chain structure. The long wavelengths CD effect of P-1 and P-2 can be regarded as the more extended conjugated structure and a highly rigid backbone in the polymer chain. Polymers have strong blue fluorescence due to the efficient energy migration from the extended n-electronic structure of the polymers to the chiral binaphthyl core and are expected to provide understanding of the relationship between molecular structure and fluorescent property of the chiral polymers.     

Chiral ethylhexyl substituents for optically active aggregates of pi-conjugated polymers

We report an efficient synthesis of chiral (2S)-ethylhexanol for functionalizing and solubilizing conjugated polymers. The alpha-substituted chiral ethylhexyl side chains were obtained through a powerful and flexible asymmetric synthesis using pseudoephedrine as a chiral auxiliary. The dependence of the properties of conjugated polymers on molecular structure is investigated by circular dichroism, fluorescence, and absorption spectroscopy on two new chiral conjugated polymers, poly(3,3-bis((S)-2-ethylhexyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-thieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxepine) (PProDOT((2S)-ethylhexyl)(2)) and poly(3,3-bis((S)-2-methylbutyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-thieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxepine) (PProDOT((2S)-methylbutyl)(2)). The properties of PProDOT((2S)-ethylhexyl)(2)) differ significantly from those of its methylbutyl analog as investigated by chiral aggregation providing insight into the role of interchain interactions in these subsecond switching electrochromic polymers.     

Chiral recognition applications of molecularly imprinted polymers: a critical review

Molecular imprinting technology offers the unique opportunity to tailor chiral stationary phases with predefined chiral recognition properties by employing the enantiomers of interest as binding-site-forming templates. Added advantages, such as ease of preparation, chemical robustness, low-cost production, and the possibility of shaping molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) in various self-supporting formats, render them attractive materials for a broad range of chiral recognition applications. In this review a critical overview on recent developments in the field of MIP-based chiral recognition applications is given, focusing on separation techniques and molecular sensing. Inherent limitations associated with the use of enantioselective MIP materials in high-performance separation techniques are outlined, including binding site heterogeneity and slow mass transfer characteristics. The prospects of MIP materials as versatile recognition elements for the design of enantioselective sensor systems are highlighted.     

Doubly dendronized chiral polymers showing thermoresponsive properties

The dendronization of linear polymers by dendrons with different cores and peripheries provides a convenient strategy to fuse distinct properties in one matter. By combining thermoresponsive properties with chirality, a series of doubly dendronized polymers possessing interior chiral proline units and peripheral oligoethylene glycol (OEG)‐based dendrons are synthesized and characterized. The chirality of proline moieties are varied to check potential effects on thermoresponsiveness and chiroptical properties, and the terminal groups in the OEG periphery are changed to tune the hydrophilicity of the resulting polymers. The macromonomer route is applied to obtain polymers with well‐defined structures. Free radical polymerization in bulk results in polymers with surprisingly high molar masses. Their thermally induced phase transition processes are monitored by UV–vis spectroscopy, and chiroptical properties are monitored by optical rotation measurements and circular dichroism spectroscopy. These doubly dendronized polymers show characteristic thermoresponsive behavior, and their phase transition temperatures are dominated by the peripheral structures. Polymerization accompanies weak chiral amplification, but the chirality of the proline interior contributes significantly to the thermal stability of chiroptical properties of the resulting polymers. In vitro cytotoxicity measurements are carried out to check the biocompatibility of these thermoresponsive polymers. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013 , 51, 5143–5152     

圆偏振光在手性聚合物合成与结构调控中的应用

手性是自然界中普遍存在的有趣现象之一,在生命体中手性大分子特有的不对称结构在维持生命过程、新陈代谢和进化等面均起着决定性作用.受此启发,合成具有新型结构的光学活性聚合物,研究其独特的物理化学性质和功能已成为当今高分子领域研究的热点.左旋和右旋的圆偏振光已被广泛应用于氨基酸衍生物的不对称光合成、光分解和去消旋化反应,以及诱导含有偶氮苯或三苯胺等特定功能基团的超分子组装体或无机纳米粒子形成稳定螺旋结构.本文详细地介绍了圆偏振光辐照在手性聚合物合成与螺旋结构调控中的应用,初步揭示了圆偏振光的作用机制以及优势,归纳总结了已取得的研究进展,并对圆偏振光在手性聚合物合成与结构调控中的应用及发展进行了简单的评述和展望.     

Discourse on the utilization of polyaniline coatings for surface plasmon resonance sensing of ammonia vapor

Surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy is sensitive to near-surface (<300 nm) chemical and physical events that result in refractive index changes. The non-specific nature of the stimulus implies that chemical selectivity in SPR sensing configurations entirely relies upon the chemical recognition scheme employed. Biosensing applications commonly use surface layers composed of antibodies or enzymes for biomolecular recognition. Monitoring of volatile compounds with SPR spectroscopy, however, has not been widely discussed due to the difficulty in selectively responding to small molecules (<100 Da) in addition to the limited refractive index changes resulting from the interaction between the plasmon wave and volatile compounds.Different strategies explored thus far for sensing of small molecules have relied on optical and electrical changes of the recognition layer upon exposure to the analyte, yielding an indirect measurement. Examples of coatings used for gas-phase sensing with SPR include conducting metal oxides, polymers and organometallic dyes. Electrically conducting polymers, like polyaniline and polypyrrole, display dramatic conductivity changes in the presence of certain compounds. This property has resulted in their routine incorporation into different sensing schemes. However, application of electrically conducting polymers to SPR gas-phase sensing has been limited to a few examples, despite encouraging results.The emeraldine salt form of polyaniline (PAni) demonstrates a decreased electrical conductivity correlated to NH₃ concentration. In this contribution, PAni doped with camphorsulfonic acid (PAni-CSA) was applied to gas-phase sensing of NH₃ by way of SPR spectroscopy. Spectroscopic ellipsometry was used to determine the optical constants (n and k) for emeraldine salt and emeraldine base forms of PAni, confirming the wavelength-dependent response observed via SPR. The analytical performance of the coatings show that a limit of detection of 32 ppm NH₃ based on precision of the mass-flow controllers used and an estimated method limit of detection of ∼0.2 ppm based on three standard deviations of the blank. This is directly comparable to other, more established sensing architectures.     

Recent progress in the development,characterization and application of polymeric pseudophases for electrokinetic chromatography

This review article details the development, characterization and application of polymeric materials as pseudostationary phases for electrokinetic chromatography over the past two years. Recent developments in cationic polymers and anionic siloxane, acrylamide and polymerized surfactants (micelle polymers) are reviewed. Also reviewed is recent progress in the development and characterization of chiral polymeric phases for chiral separations by electrokinetic chromatography, and application of a polymeric pseudophase with electrospray ionization mass spectrometric detection.     

Dynamic Supramolecular Polymers Based on Benzene‐1,3,5‐tricarboxamides: The Influence of Amide Connectivity on Aggregate Stability and Amplification of Chirality

N‐Centred benzene‐1,3,5‐tricarboxamides (N‐BTAs) composed of chiral and achiral alkyl substituents were synthesised and their solid‐state behaviour and self‐assembly in dilute alkane solutions were investigated. A combination of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarisation optical microscopy (POM) and X‐ray diffraction revealed that the chiral N‐BTA derivatives with branched 3,7‐dimethyloctanoyl chains were liquid crystalline and the mesophase was assigned as Col_ho. In contrast, N‐BTA derivatives with linear tetradecanoyl or octanoyl chains lacked a mesophase and were obtained as crystalline compounds. Variable‐temperature infrared spectroscopy showed the presence of threefold, intermolecular hydrogen bonding between neighbouring molecules in the mesophase of the chiral N‐BTAs. In the crystalline state at room temperature a more complicated packing between the molecules was observed. Ultraviolet and circular dichroism spectroscopy on dilute solutions of N‐BTAs revealed a cooperative self‐assembly behaviour of the N‐BTA molecules into supramolecular polymers with preferred helicity when chiral alkyl chains were present. Both the sergeants‐and‐soldiers as well as the majority‐rules principles were operative in stacks of N‐BTAs. In fact, the self‐assembly of N‐BTAs resembles closely that of their carbonyl (C?O)‐centred counterparts, with the exception that aggregation is weaker and amplification of chirality is less pronounced. The differences in the self‐assembly of N‐ and C?O‐BTAs were analysed by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. These reveal a substantially lower interaction energy between the monomeric units in the supramolecular polymers of N‐BTAs. The lower interaction energy is due to the higher energy penalty for rotation around the Ph? NH bond compared to the Ph? CO bond and the diminished magnitude of dipole–dipole interactions. Finally, we observed that mixed stacks are formed in dilute solution when mixing N‐BTAs and C?O BTAs.     

利用分子烙印手性固定相串联柱同时拆分两对对映体

采用复合功能单体制备了苯甲氧羰基－Ｌ－丝氨酸（Ｎ－Ｃｂｚ－Ｌ－Ｓｅｒ）和苯甲氧羰基－Ｌ－丙氨酸（Ｎ－Ｃｂｚ－Ｌ－Ａｌａ）烙印的分子烙印手性固定相。采用柱串联的方法,一次进样手性分离了苯甲氧羰基－ＤＬ－丝氨酸（Ｎ－Ｃｂｚ－ＤＬ－Ｓｅｒ）和苯甲氧羰基－ＤＬ－丙氨酸（Ｎ－Ｃｂｚ－ＤＬ－Ａｌａ）两对对映体,显示了分子烙印手性固定相在多对对映体同时手性分离的发展潜力。     

New approach for chiral separation: from polysaccharide-based materials to chirality-responsive polymers

Chiral separation that is closely related to daily life is a meaningful research. Polysaccharide-(e.g., cellulose, amylose derivatives) based chiral packing materials afford powerful chiral stationary phases(CSPs) toward a broad range of racemic compounds. However, considering the explosive growth of specific chiral drugs, the separation efficiencies of these CSPs need further improvement, which calls for new approaches and strategies. Smart polymers can change their physical or chemical properties dynamically and reversibly according to the external stimuli(e.g., thermo-, pH, solvent, ion, light, critical parameters for chromatographic separation) exerted on them, subsequently resulting in tunable changes in the macroscopic properties of materials. In addition to their excellent controllability, the introduction of chiral characteristics into the backbones or side-chains of smart polymers provides a promising route to realize reversibly conformational transition in response to the chiral analytes. This dramatic transition may significantly improve the performance of materials in chiral separation through modulating the enantioselective interactions between materials and analytes. With the help of chirality-responsive polymers, intelligent and switchable CSPs could be developed and applied in column-liquid chromatography. In these systems, the elution order or enantioselectivity of chiral drugs can be precisely modulated, which will help to solve many challenging problems that involve complicated enantiomers. In this paper we introduce some typical examples of smart polymers that serve as the basis for a discussion of emerging developments of CPSs, and then briefly outline the recent CSPs based on natural and certain synthetic polymers.     

Synthesis and characterization of chiral poly(alkyl isocyanates) by coordination polymerization using a chiral half‐titanocene complex

A new chiral half‐titanocene complex, [CpTiCl₂(O‐(S)?2‐Bu)], is synthesized and characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. This complex is employed for the coordination polymerization of n‐butyl and n‐hexyl‐ isocyanate leading to chiral polymers, as revealed by their CD spectra. Only the left‐handed helix is produced, due to the chiral (S)?2‐butoxy group, which is bound to the polymer chain end. The polymerization of 3‐(triethoxysilyl)propyl isocyanate produces less soluble polymers. On the other hand, phenyl isocyanate reacts slowly with the complex leading quantitatively and selectively to triphenyl isocyanurate. 2‐Ethylhexyl isocyanate is slowly and selectively cyclotrimerized in the presence of the half‐titanocene complex. However, a statistical copolymer of 2‐ethylhexyl isocyanate and hexyl isocyanate is produced. The reaction of benzyl isocyanate with the complex leads to a mixture of low molecular weight polymer and cyclotrimer. The polymers are characterized using SEC, NMR, and CD spectroscopy and their thermal properties are investigated by TGA/DSC analysis. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 2141–2151     

Synthesis of chiral polymers containing thioetherified cinchonidinium repeating units and their application to asymmetric catalysis

A thiol-ene reaction of dithiol and two equivalents of cinchonidine afforded a thioetherified cinchonidine dimer. The dimer was treated with benzyl bromide to give a quaternary ammonium dimer. An ion exchange reaction of the cinchonidinium dimer and disodium disulfonate gave polymers containing chiral quaternary ammonium repeating units in their main-chain structures. Another type of chiral polymer was synthesized by quaternization polymerization. Repeated quaternization reactions between the thioetherified cinchonidine dimer and dihalides yielded chiral polymers containing cinchonidinium structures in their main chains. Both of these chiral polymers were successfully used as catalysts for the asymmetric alkylation of N-diphenylmethylene glycine tert-butyl ester. The chiral cinchonidinium polymers explored in this study showed excellent catalytic activity in asymmetric alkylation reactions and were reused several times without loss of activity.