The influence of molecular structure on helical twisting power of chiral azobenzene compounds

Photochromic chiral azobenzene compounds with different molecular structures were synthesized, and a cholesteric phase was induced by mixing each chiral azobenzene compound with a non-photochromic chiral compound in a host nematic liquid crystal, E44. Helical pitch and, thus, helical twisting powers (HTP) of the chiral azobenzene compounds and the non-photochromic chiral compound were determined by Cano's wedge method. Molecular structures of the chiral azobenzene compounds were predicted by means of determining their molecular aspect ratio (L/D) with semiempirical molecular calculations (MOPAC at PM3 level). The effects of molecular structure on HTP of the chiral azobenzene compounds are studied in detail. Molecular structures of chiral azobenzene compounds significantly influence their HTPs.     

Investigation of chiral recognition by molecular micelles with molecular dynamics simulations

Molecular dynamics simulations were used to characterize the binding of the chiral drugs chlorthalidone and lorazepam to the molecular micelle poly-(sodium undecyl-(L)-leucine-valine). The project’s goal was to characterize the nature of chiral recognition in capillary electrophoresis separations that use molecular micelles as the chiral selector. The shapes and charge distributions of the chiral molecules investigated, their orientations within the molecular micelle chiral binding pockets, and the formation of stereoselective intermolecular hydrogen bonds with the molecular micelle were all found to play key roles in determining where and how lorazepam and chlorthalidone enantiomers interacted with the molecular micelle.     

Kinetic resolution of racemic amines using provisional molecular chirality generated by spontaneous crystallization

N-(2-methoxy-1-naphthoyl)pyrrolidine afforded chiral crystals by spontaneous crystallization. The molecular chirality in the crystal was retained after dissolving the crystals in a cooled solvent. Kinetic resolution of racemic amines was performed using the provisional chiral molecular conformation derived from chiral crystals.     

分子模型及其在手性识别机理研究上的应用

介绍了近十几年来在色谱手性识别机理研究中的分子模型。在这些模型中,采用量子力学、分子力学和分子动力学等方法计算了手性选择试剂与对映体之间的相互作用,并借助X射线晶体学、核磁共振技术和计算机模拟等技术建立了各种分子模型,研究在手性化合物分离过程中的手性识别机理。     

Chiral hierarchical molecular nanostructures on two-dimensional surface by controllable trinary self-assembly

The bottom-up fabrication of surface hierarchical nanostructures is of great importance for the development of molecular nanostructures for chiral molecular recognition and enantioselective catalysis. Herein, we report the construction of a series of 2D chiral hierarchical structures by trinary molecular self-assembly with copper phthalocyanine (CuPc), 2,3,7,8,12,13-hexahexyloxy-truxenone (TrO23), and 1,3,5-tris(10-carboxydecyloxy) benzene (TCDB). A series of flower-like chiral hierarchical molecular architectures with increased generations are formed, and the details of these structures are investigated by high resolution scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The flower-like hierarchical molecular architectures could be described by a unified configuration in which the lobe of each architecture is composed of a different number of triangular shape building units (TBUs). The off-axis edge-to-edge packing of TBUs confers the organizational chirality of the hierarchical assemblies. On the other hand, the TBUs can tile the surface in a vertex-sharing configuration, resulting in the expansion of chiral unit cells, which thereby further modulate the periodicity of chiral voids in the multilevel hierarchical assemblies. The formation of desired hierarchical structures could be controlled through tuning the molar ratio of each component in liquid phase. The results are significant for the design and fabrication of multicomponent chiral hierarchical molecular nanostructures.     

Enantiopure O-substituted phenylphosphonothioic acids: chiral recognition ability during salt crystallization and chiral recognition mechanism

[structure: see text] The chiral recognition ability of enantiopure O-methyl, O-ethyl, O-propyl, and O-phenyl phenylphosphonothioic acids (1a-d) for various kinds of racemic amines during salt crystallization and the chiral recognition mechanism were thoroughly investigated. The chiral recognition abilities of enantiopure 1a-d for a wide variety of racemic amines varied in a range of 6 to >99% enantiomeric selectivity. Deposited less-soluble diastereomeric salts were classified into two categories, prism- and needle-type crystals; the prism-type crystals were composed of a globular molecular cluster, while there existed a 2(1) column in the needle-type crystals. In contrast to a general observation of a similar 2(1) column in the less-soluble diastereomeric salt crystals of chiral primary amines with chiral carboxylic acids, the globular molecular cluster is a very unique hydrogen-bonding motif that has never been constructed in diastereomeric salt crystals. Excellent chiral recognition was always achieved when the less-soluble diastereomeric salts were prism-type crystals. Significant correlations were found between the degree of the chiral recognition with 1a-d, the crystal shape of the less-soluble diastereomeric salts, and the hydrogen-bonding motif (molecular cluster/2(1) column). The chiral recognition mechanisms via the molecular cluster and the 2(1) column formations are discussed in detail on the basis of X-ray crystallographic analyses.     

New 2,2'-substituted 4,4'-dimethoxy-6,6'-dimethyl[1,1'-biphenyls], inducing a strong helical twisting power in liquid crystals

Based on the stabilisation of the molecular motion by the chiral residue, novel optically active biphenylic chiral dopants for nematic liquid crystals were developed. This molecular congestion was obtained by introducing mesogenic residues on the 2,2'-positions of the chiral biphenyl; this led to a novel molecular architecture that was found to be efficient. The synthesised optically active biphenyls were characterised with very short cholesteric pitches when used as chiral dopants in nematic liquid crystals. The synthesis of the enatiomerically pure biphenyl dopants and their preliminary physicochemical characterisations are described.     

New chiral benzothiazine ligand and its use in the synthesis of a chiral receptor

The development of chiral ligands to direct the course and stereoselectivity of many catalytic asymmetric reactions is an important area of interest for many research groups. As part of a program examining the chemistry of 2,1-benzothiazines, we have prepared a new chiral benzothiazine ligand. This ligand can be made in as few as three steps from commercially available starting materials. Presented herein is the synthesis of the ligand along with the synthesis of a chiral molecular receptor that potentially presages a new class of chiral molecular tweezers.     

Tuning the CD spectrum and optical rotation value of a new binaphthalene molecule with two spiropyran units: mimicking the function of a molecular "AND" logic gate and a new chiral molecular switch

With the view to developing new chiral molecular switches and logic gates, a new binaphthalene molecule with two spiropyran units (1) was synthesized and characterized. Absorption and 1H NMR spectral studies of 1 after reaction with acid/base indicate acidichromism can occur to compound 1. The synergistic actions of acid and UV light irradiation result in a remarkable change for the CD spectrum of the relatively dilute solution of 1, mimicking the behavior of a chiral "AND" gate, since the "ouput" is the CD signal. Furthermore, the optical rotation value of the relatively concentrated solution of 1 can be reversibly tuned after sequential reactions with acid and base, and thus a chiral molecular switch with nondestructive "output" signal is realized. The present results not only add a new example of chiral molecular switch with nondestructive readout but also provide a chiral "AND" gate based on the axial chiral binaphthalene to which switchable units are linked.     

同时烙印分子烙印手性固定相

对采用两种对本同时烙印的方法,制备的氨基酸衍生物分子烙印手性固定相进行了考察。研究表明,如果两种烙印分子单独烙印的分子烙印手性对固定相对两种烙印分子具有较强的手性交叉拆分能力,那么这两种烙印分子同时烙印制得的分子烙印手性固定相就可对两种烙印分子均具有很好的手性分离能力,从而使专一性强的分子烙印手性固定相能同时分离多种对映体。     

A Chiral-Label-Free SERS Strategy for the Synchronous Chiral Discrimination and Identification of Small Aromatic Molecules

A versatile and robust chiral discrimination strategy for small aromatic compounds is of significant importance in multidisciplinary fields. However, most current methods lack either the sufficient sensitivity for recognizing the chirality of the target molecules or their molecular specificity information. We have developed a versatile and chiral-label-free surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based chiral discrimination sensing system for small aromatic molecules, where the molecular structural specificity and enantioselectivity can be given synchronously in a single SERS spectrum. More than 10 types of chiral aromatic molecules were successfully identified by using this system. This work has enormous potential for recognizing chiral products effectively in sophisticated systems, especially in the fields of chiral synthesis and chiral catalysis.     

Effect of lateral methoxy substitution on mesomorphic and structural properties of ferroelectric liquid crystals

A new series of materials with a chiral fragment derived from lactic acid and a methoxy group as lateral substituent in different positions of the molecular core was synthesised and investigated. Derivatives with ester or ether linkages of the non‐chiral chain were also studied. Depending on the molecular structure, cholesteric, twist grain boundary smectic A (TGBA*), chiral smectic A (SmA*) or chiral smectic C (SmC*) phases were detected. In derivatives with the ester linkage and a methoxy group at the nearest and the next nearest phenyl ring to the non‐chiral chain these phases completely disappear. On the other hand, a methoxy group on the phenyl ring close to the chiral chain provides a compound with low layer shrinkage at the SmA*–SmC* phase transition (“de Vries” behaviour). The temperature dependence of the spontaneous polarisation, the tilt angle, the layer spacing as well as the complex permittivity were studied and the results discussed in terms of molecular structure.     

Influence of terminal alkyl chain length on helical twisting property of chiral 1,2-propanediol derivatives

In this study,a novel series of chiral 1,2-propanediol derivatives with different terminal alkyl chain length were synthesized and characterized by FT-IR,~1H NMR and DSC.After doped into a nematic liquid crystal host,all the chiral dopants induced chiral nematic liquid crystals exhibiting a helix inversion with temperature variation.The results indicate that terminal alkyl chain length has a prominent influence on helical twisting property of the chiral dopants.With increasing the terminal alkyl chain le...     

Correlation between molecular structure and helicity of induced chiral nematics in terms of short-range and electrostatic-induction interactions. The case of chiral biphenyls

The helical structure of the chiral nematic phases induced by chiral dopants in nematic solvents provides a macroscopic image of the molecular chirality of the dopant promoted by the orientational order. Chiral biphenyls are challenging systems because their twisting ability shows a strong dependence on the molecular structure, which does not conform to empirical correlation rules. This points out the need for adequate interpretative tools, able to establish a link between molecular properties and macroscopic response. In this paper the twisting ability of chiral biphenyls is reviewed, by reporting examples taken from the literature together with some new experimental results. The microscopic origin of the observed behavior is explained in terms of chirality and anisotropy of short-range and electrostatic-induction interactions. These are described, respectively, by a shape model and a reaction field method, having the common characteristics of a realistic representation of the structure and properties of the chiral dopants in terms of molecular surface, atom charges, and distributed polarizabilities.     

A microscopic model considering the effect of molecular biaxiality on ferroelectric ordering of liquid crystalline smectic C* phases

On the basis of a mean-field approach, a microscopic model is presented to explain some ferroelectric properties of induced smectic C* phases of chiral dipolar guest molecules in an achiral smectic C host phase. The molecular biaxiality of the chiral dopants has been taken into account, resulting in a polar and quadrupolar ordering of the molecular short axes in the rotational distribution function of the guest molecules. This model explains the dependence of the magnitude and sign of the spontaneous polarization on the molecular structure of a series of cyclo-hexanone derivatives used as chiral dopants, as well as the effect of a local field at higher dopant concentrations.     

Understanding chiral molecular micellar separations using steady-state fluorescence anisotropy, capillary electrophoresis, and NMR

Chiral separations employing four diastereomers of poly sodium N-undecanoyl leucylvalinate (p-SULV) as chiral selectors are probed by use of MEKC, steady-state fluorescence anisotropy, and NMR. By employing diastereomers and thus altering the stereochemistry of a single amino acid in a systematic way, one may control the enantiorecognition ability of the chiral selector. As a result, one can gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of chiral recognition for the two classes of neutral or anionic chiral analytes studied. Evaluation of the chiral interactions leading to chiral separations confirmed our earlier observation of a strong relationship between the selectivity (alpha) observed using a chromatographic separation technique (MEKC) and that determined from the spectroscopic parameter, beta. A linear alpha versus beta relationship was observed for the molecular micelle p-(L)-SULV with all eight analytes included in this study. However, as we earlier predicted, different groups of analytes had different slopes, i.e., values of m, suggesting different chiral separation mechanisms. Evaluation of the data allowed a grouping of the analytes according to the primary site of chiral interaction with the leucine or valine moiety of molecular micelle chiral headgroup.     

Design and synthesis of novel chiral molecular tweezers based on deoxycholic acid

A novel type of chiral molecular tweezers has been designed and synthesized by using deoxycholic acid as backbone and ethanoyl and the chiral unsymmetrical urea unit as arms. Their structures were characterized by 1H NMR, IR, MS spectra and elemental analysis. These molecular tweezers showed good binding ability for neutral molecules and chiral molecules.     

A Chiral Molecular Cage Comprising Diethynylallenes and N-Heterotriangulenes for Enantioselective Recognition

Chirality, a characteristic tool of molecular recognition in nature, is often a complement of redox active systems. Scientists, in their eagerness to mimic such sophistication, have designed numerous chiral systems based on molecular entities with cavities, such as macrocycles and cages. In an attempt to combine chirality and redox-active species, in this contribution we report the synthesis and detailed characterization of a chiral shape-persistent molecular cage based on the combination of enantiopure diethynylallenes and electron-rich bridged triarylamines, also known as N-heterotriangulenes. Its ability for chiral recognition in solution was revealed through UV/vis titrations with enantiopure helicenes.     

Application of the ΔΛ isomerism of octahedral metal complexes as a chiral source in photochemistry

Photochemical studies on the use of chiral metal complexes in homogenous and heterogeneous systems are surveyed and commented on their significance. A main focus is laid on the utility of the ΔΛ isomerism of octahedral metal complexes as a chiral source. The reported works demonstrate that chiral metal complexes are effective as a molecular element in achieving varieties of functions such as chiral discrimination, chiral transfer, sensing and photoresponsive guests for biomolecules or liquid crystals.     

Recognition of enantiomers with chiral molecular tweezers derived from (+)- or (−)-usnic acid

The synthesis of four stereoisomers of a chiral molecular tweezer using trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane as spacer and two molecules of usnic acid as pincers is reported. The behavior of these chiral tweezers as chiral complexing agents was evaluated in NMR with various chiral esters containing an electron-poor aromatic ring to allow non-covalent aromatic–aromatic interactions.