Chirality Enhancement of Porphyrin Supramolecular Assembly Driven by a Template Preorganization Effect

Cationic polylysine promotes, under neutral conditions, the spontaneous aggregation of opposite charged ZnTPPS in water. Spectroscopic investigations evidence a different preorganization of ZnTPPS onto the polypeptide matrix depending on the chain length. Spinodal decomposition theory in confined geometry is used to model this mechanism by considering the time evolution of a homogeneous distribution of randomly adsorbed particles (porphyrins) onto a rodlike polyelectrolyte (polymer) of variable length L.     

Kinetic Control of the Supramolecular Chirality of Porphyrin J‐Aggregates

The aggregation of achiral sulfonatophenyl‐ and phenyl‐meso‐substituted diprotonated porphyrins to chiral J‐aggregates is a hierarchical noncovalent polymerization process preceded by a critical nucleation stage. This allows significant enantiomeric excesses by the formation of a few primary nuclei and the control of their growth by the effect that flows (imperfect mixing) have on the secondary nucleation of the J‐aggregate particles. In addition, the results strongly suggest that when only one species of aggregate predominates, the CD signals of the three excitonic bands in the visible region (around 420, 490, and 700 nm) show the same sign. Thus, differences on their relative sign would be due to the presence of different species.     

Emergence of Supramolecular Chirality by Flows

Hydrodynamic forces in stirred solutions induce chirality in some supramolecular species of J‐aggregates, as detected at the level of the electronic transition. However, the mechanism that explains the phenomenon remains to be elucidated, although the basic effect of hydrodynamic gradients of the shear rate is most probably the folding or bending of the nanoparticles in solution. Herein, we demonstrate a correlation between chiral flows in different regions of circular and square stirred cuvettes and the emergence of true circular dichroism (CD). The results show that chaotic flows lead to a racemic mixture of chiral shaped supramolecular species, and vortical flows to scalemic mixtures. In a magnetically stirred flask the descending and ascending flows are of different chiral sign and the CD reading depends on the weighting of these two flows of inverse chiral sign. The effect of the gradient of shear rates of the flows leading to chiral shape objects depends on the shape of the cuvette, which suggests that the flask shape and the controlled addition of reagents in defined regions of the stirred solutions may exert a control in self‐assembly processes.     

On the mechano-chiral effect of vortical flows on the dichroic spectra of 5-phenyl-10,15,20-tris(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin J-aggregates

Phase-modulated ellipsometry of the J-aggregates of the title porphyrin shows that the material gives a true CD signal. This confirms that there is a real chiral transfer by mechanical forces, mediated by shear gradient flows, from the macroscopic to the electronic transition level. Dislocations in the structure of the aggregate could justify the formation of chirality at the level of the electronic transitions once the mesophases can be sculptured by hydrodynamic gradient flows.     

Hydrodynamic and Thermophoretic Effects on the Supramolecular Chirality of Pyrene‐Derived Nanosheets

Chiroptical properties of two‐dimensional (2D) supramolecular assemblies (nanosheets) of achiral, charged pyrene trimers ( Py₃ ) are rendered chiral by asymmetric physical perturbations. Chiral stimuli in a cuvette can originate either from controlled temperature gradients or by very gentle stirring. The chiroptical activity strongly depends on the degree of supramolecular order of the nanosheets, which is easily controlled by the method of preparation. The high degree of structural order ensures strong cooperative effects within the aggregates, rendering them more susceptible to external stimuli. The samples prepared by using slow thermal annealing protocols are both CD and LD active (in stagnant and stirred solutions), whereas for isothermally aged samples chiroptical activity was in all cases undetectable. In the case of temperature gradients, the optical activity of 2D assemblies could be recorded for a stagnant solution due to migration of the aggregates from the hottest to the coldest regions of the system. However, a considerably stronger exciton coupling, coinciding with the J‐band of the interacting pyrenes, is developed upon subtle vortexing (0.5 Hz, 30 rpm) of the aqueous solution of the nanosheets. The sign of the exciton coupling is inverted upon switching between clockwise and counter‐clockwise rotation. The supramolecular chirality is evidenced by the appearance of CD activity. To exclude artefacts from proper CD spectra, the contribution from LD to the observed CD was determined. The data suggest that the aggregates experience asymmetrical deformation and alignment effects because of the presence of chiral flows.     

Chirality of Anisotropic Metal Nanowires with a Distinct Multihelix

Two‐dimensional (2D) anisotropic silver nanowire (AgNW) arrays, fabricated inside chiral mesoporous silica (CMS), exhibited strong and tunable plasmon circular dichroism (CD) signals in the visible and near‐IR regions due to collective dipole coupling between the anisotropic AgNWs. The multihelix with a helical channel orientation and helical arrays of opposite handedness in CMS played a predominant effects on the transversal and longitudinal chirality of the AgNWs, respectively.This behavior differs from both isotropic‐nanoparticle and single‐helix‐induced CD responses. This system will provide new insight into the optical activity of metal inorganic nanoparticles capped with chiral organic molecules and assembled in chiral environments.     

Inducing Propeller Chirality in Triaryl Boranes with Chiral Amines

Stabilization of chiral propeller conformations in triaryl compounds is challenging due to generally low racemization barriers. Nonetheless, it was recently found that chiral conformational preferences can be induced to triaryl boranes by incorporating point-chiral alkylether chains to the aryl blades and subsequently locking the structure with ammonia. A four-point interaction, meaning that the cooperative effects of Lewis-adduct formation and three hydrogen bonds, was proposed as stabilizing mechanism. Herein, it was shown that three such strong interactions suffice to introduce a preferential propeller handedness. Although DFT calculations predict no noteworthy preferences for either P- or M-chiral propellers for some of the investigated triarylborane–amine adducts that were prepared with chiral primary amines, vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopic characterizations revealed that there is indeed a measurable excess of one propeller handedness. Furthermore, the steric demand of the amine was found to play a key role in the induction process and especially in preventing blade rotations.     

Circularly polarized luminescence of rhodamine B in a supramolecular chiral medium formed by a vortex flow

Sucked into the vortex: Hydrogels with embedded Rhodamine?B dye showed stir-induced circularly polarized luminescence (CPL; see picture), the sense of which can be controlled by switching the stir direction from clockwise (CW) to counterclockwise (CCW) with slow cooling from the sol to gel states. The chiral alignment of the dye was erased by heating the sample above the gel-sol transition temperature.     

From Symmetry Breaking to Unraveling the Origin of the Chirality of Ligated Au13Cu2 Nanoclusters

A general method, using mixed ligands (here diphosphines and thiolates) is devised to turn an achiral metal cluster, Au₁₃Cu₂, into an enantiomeric pair by breaking (lowering) the overall molecular symmetry with the ligands. Using an achiral diphosphine, a racemic [Au₁₃Cu₂(DPPP)₃(SPy)₆]⁺ was prepared which crystallizes in centrosymmetric space groups. Using chiral diphosphines, enantioselective synthesis of an optically pure, enantiomeric pair of [Au₁₃Cu₂((2r,4r)/(2s,4s)‐BDPP)₃(SPy)₆]⁺ was achieved in one pot. Their circular dichroism (CD) spectra give perfect mirror images in the range of 250–500 nm with maximum anisotropy factors of 1.2×10^?3. DFT calculations provided good correlations with the observed CD spectra of the enantiomers and, more importantly, revealed the origin of the chirality. Racemization studies show high stability (no racemization at 70 °C) of these chiral nanoclusters, which hold great promise in applications such as asymmetry catalysis.     

Control of Conformation and Chirality of Nonplanar π‐Conjugated Diporphyrins Using Substituents and Axial Ligands

Nonplanar conformations of pyrazine‐fused Zn^II diporphyrins could be controlled by the choice of the meso‐aryl substituents and an axial ligand on the central metals. Zn^II diporphyrins bearing sterically demanding meso‐aryl groups with ortho‐substituents led to a twisted chiral D₂ conformation, while an achiral C_2h form was preferred in the case of aryl groups without ortho‐substituents. Helical chirality induction on Zn^II diporphyrins in the twisted conformation was achieved by controlling their handedness of the molecular twist through coordination of optically active 1‐phenethylamine.     

Enantiomer resolution of intrinsically chiral C21-alkylated N-confused porphyrin complexes

The resolution of stereoisomers of C21‐alkylated nickel(II) complexes of N‐confused porphyrin (NCP) was performed by means of chiral‐phase HPLC with an effectiveness of above 90 % molar ratio for each isomer. The reverse signs of the Cotton effects in the circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the separated fractions are indicative of the pair of enantiomers. The application of low‐temperature 2D NMR methods to the separated diastereomers of the system comprising a chiral 2‐(S)‐methylbutyl substituent, in connection with the CD spectra and relative HPLC migration rates, allowed the assignment of the absolute configuration of the chiral C21‐substituted complexes of NCP. The assignment was confirmed by time‐dependent DFT (TDDFT) calculations of CD spectra for the C21‐methylated nickel(II) complex. The system remains chiral after removal of the metal ion from the macrocyclic crevice, despite the fact that this demetalation is connected with a change of the C21 hybridization from pyramidal to trigonal. The retention of chirality was established by means of CD spectra and confirmed by TDDFT calculations for a C21‐methylated NCP free base. Stereoisomers were also separated for three covalently linked bis(NCP) systems with bridges involving one or two C21 carbon atoms. The occurrence of a pair of enantiomers was established for nonsymmetrical dimers comprising only one stereogenic center. In the case of the 21,21′‐(o‐xylene)‐linked dimer, three stereoisomers, that is, a pair of enantiomers and an optically inactive meso‐form, were separated and analyzed by CD and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The stereoisomers of a diastereoselectively formed nonsymmetrical chloroplatinum(II)‐linked dimer, consisting of heterochiral C21‐alkylated NCP nickel(II) subunits, after separation displayed a strong optical activity, which can be ascribed to the rigid helical structure of the complex.     

超分子组装体激发态手性的响应性

圆偏振发光主要是指手性发光体系激发态的性质。由于其在信息加密、高分辨3D显示和智能传感器等领域的潜在应用而备受关注。圆偏振光除了可以通过物理方法获得,即使用线偏振片和四分之一波片的组合,还可以直接从具有光致发光或电致发光性质的手性材料中获得。目前研究者们已经开发了多种圆偏振发光材料,主要包括手性有机分子、手性金属配合物等小分子发光体系以及手性超分子组装体等复合体系。通过将手性组分与响应性功能基团结合而构筑的响应性自组装发光体系对实现智能圆偏振发光材料的发展起着重要作用。在这篇文章里,我们对手性超分子自组装发光体系对各种外界刺激的响应性能进行了总结和归纳,如光照、pH值、溶剂、温度、金属离子等。本综述通过对各种外部刺激对手性组装体激发态性能影响的总结和讨论,旨在进一步推动智能圆偏振发光材料在多学科领域的应用。     

Long-Range Chiral Induction by a Fully Noncovalent Approach in Supramolecular Porphyrin–Calixarene Assemblies

The hierarchical assembly, in aqueous solution, of a new multi-metalloporphyrin/calixarene aggregate has been accomplished. In this supramolecular system transfer of chirality, from the outermost components to the central porphyrin reporter, takes place as a result of favorable and fully noncovalent long-range electronic communication.