Rationally Designed Axially Chiral Diarylethene Switches with High Helical Twisting Power

Three rationally designed axially chiral diarylethene switches were synthesized and their application as chiral dopants for phototunable cholesteric liquid crystal devices was investigated. Design of these molecules was based on the combination of photochromic dithienylcyclopentene core with bridged binaphthyl units as chiral precursors. Aromatic groups were introduced to the molecules at 6,6′‐positions of binaphthyls through a Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reaction. Their helical twisting powers (HTPs) are significantly higher than those of the known chiral diarylethenes reported as chiral dopants so far. Photocyclization of these molecules upon light irradiation brought out dramatic variation in HTPs between different states. The primary colors, red, green, and blue, were obtained in reflection on light irradiation and with thermal stability. Moreover, a multi‐switchable photodisplay was demonstrated using one of these chiral molecular switches.     

A Molecular Thermochromic Ferroelectric

Molecular ferroelectrics have attracted considerable interests because of their easy and environmentally friendly processing, low acoustical impedance and mechanical flexibility. Herein, a molecular thermochromic ferroelectric, N,N′‐dimethyl‐1,4‐diazoniabicyclo[2.2.2]octonium tetrachlorocuprate(II) ([DMe‐DABCO]CuCl₄) is reported, which shows both excellent ferroelectricity and intriguing thermochromism. [DMe‐DABCO]CuCl₄ undergoes a ferroelectric phase transition from Pca2₁ to Pbcm at a significantly high Curie temperature of 413 K, accompanied by a color change from yellow to red that is due to the remarkable deformation of [CuCl₄]^2? tetrahedron, where the ferroelectric and paraelectric phases correspond to yellow and red, respectively. Combined with multiple bistable physical properties, [DMe‐DABCO]CuCl₄ would be a promising candidate for next‐generation smart devices, and should inspire further exploration of multifunctional molecular ferroelectrics.     

不含手性碳的手性化合物及其绝对构型——剑桥结构数据库实例分析

利用英国剑桥结构数据库中的实例并结合相关三维可视化软件,介绍了含有氮/磷等手性杂原子、轴手性、平面手性、螺旋手性、超分子手性等手性因素的手性化合物及其绝对构型,以加深对手性概念的认识和理解。     

Spin Filtering Along Chiral Polymers

Spin‐dependent conduction and polarization in chiral polymers were studied for polymers organized as self‐assembled monolayers with conduction along the polymer backbone, namely, along its longer axis. Large spin polarization and magnetoresistance effects were observed, showing a clear dependence on the secondary structure of the polymer. The results indicate that the spin polarization process does not include spin flipping and hence it results from backscattering probabilities for the two spin states.     

Chiral polymer-based biointerface materials

Chirality is a unique phenomenon in nature. Chiral interactions play an important role in biological and physiological processes, which provides much inspiration for scientists to develop chiral materials. As a breakthrough from traditional materials, biointerface materials based on chiral polymers have attracted increasing interest over the past few years. Such materials elegantly combine the advantages of chiral surfaces and traditional polymers, and provide a novel solution not only for the investigation of chiral interaction mechanisms but also for the design of biomaterials with diverse applications, such as in tissue engineering and biocompatible materials, bioregulation, chiral separation and chiral sensors. Herein, we summarize recent advances in the study of chiral effects and applications of chiral polymer-based biointerface materials, and also present some challenges and perspectives.     

Periphery-Fused Chiral A2B-Type Subporphyrin

Despite significant interest, the chiroptical properties of subporphyrins have rarely been investigated because chiral subporphyrins are elusive. Here, inherently chiral subporphyrins are elaborated by forming a fused pyran ring at the periphery of an A₂B-type meso-aryl-substituted subporphyrin. Their circular dichroism (CD) properties are largely affected by the peripheral substituents and the dihedral angles between the meso-aryl substituents and the subporphyrin core: the β-perbromo subporphyrin with an orthogonal arrangement of the meso-phenyl substituents to the subporphyrin core exhibits weak CD signals corresponding to the Q bands, whereas the unsubstituted species with smaller dihedral angles shows relatively intense CD signals. A detailed structure–property relationship of these chiral subporphyrins was elucidated by time-dependent (TD) DFT calculations. This study reveals that the CD properties of chiral subporphyrins can be controlled by peripheral substitution and meso-aryl substituents.     

Tartardiamide‐Functionalized Chiral Organosilicas with Highly Ordered Mesoporous Structure

A novel chiral mesoporous organosilica with L ‐tartardiamide moieties integrated in the backbone has been synthesized for the first time by a mild synthetic approach with block copolymer P123 as a template. The materials have highly ordered 2D hexagonal mesostructure and uniform pore size in the range of 7.6 to 5.5 nm. NMR, IR, and TG analyses confirm that the tartardiamide group was successfully incorporated into the framework. The intrinsic chirality of L ‐tartardiamide endows the materials with unique optical activities and chiral‐recognition properties. By dissolving the materials into NaOH, the solutions show rotation of polarized light by +8.42° to +15.53°, depending on the amount of the chiral moieties in the materials. Owing to the chirality of L ‐tartardiamide, the materials exhibited chiral‐induction ability in the epoxidation of allyl alcohol, thus further demonstrating the chirality of the materials.     

A Chiral Macrocyclic Oligothiophene with Broken Conjugation – Rapid Racemization through Internal Rotation

A macrocyclic oligothiophene with an integrated pseudo‐para substituted [2.2]paracyclophane has been achieved. The synthetic sequence relies on alternating steps of halogenation‐ and Suzuki‐coupling conditions. By employing a modified Eglinton reaction under high dilution conditions, the macrocycle is closed and the obtained diacetylene is efficiently transferred to the corresponding thiophene. The molecule is fully characterized and its dynamic racemization is analyzed by variable temperature NMR experiments. The racemization barrier hints with 38 kJ/mol at rapid enantiomerization at room temperature by Mislow’s ‘Euclidian rubber glove’ enantiomerization process. Macrocycle formation results in red‐shifted absorption and emission spectra, hinting at increased conjugation through the oligothiophene versus the trough space conjugation through the [2.2]paracyclophane.     

A Chiral Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Monkey Saddle

A contorted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) in the shape of a monkey saddle has been synthesized in three steps from a readily available truxene precursor. The monkey saddle PAH is consisting of three five‐, seven six‐, and three eight‐membered rings and has been unambiguously characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Owing to the three biaryl axes the monkey saddle PAH is inherently chiral. The inversion of the two enantiomeric structures into each other preferably occurs through a twisting of peripheral rings rather than by a fully planar intermediate, as has been calculated by DFT methods. Enantiomers were separated by chiral HPLC and inversion barriers determined by variable temperature circular dichroism spectroscopy, supporting the twisting mechanism.     

Chiral recognition capabilities of melamine and cyanuric acid supramolecular structures

Currently, there are numerous papers that discuss local chiral domains in supramolecular structures of achiral molecules established using the STM method, and by using DFT calculations. However, there are no data regarding the obtainment of macroscopically chiral 2D-supramolecular structures from achiral molecules. In this study, melamine and cyanuric acid supramolecular structures were self-assembled on a graphitized carbon black surface, which had a surface structure that was identical to HOPG, and also on the surface of an inert solid support for chromatography. Chirality induction according to the Kondepudi effect was used. For the supramolecular structures, MD calculations showed the possibility of obtaining a chiral structure. To establish macroscopic chirality, we proposed the use of the difference in enantiomer adsorption on the modified adsorbents. For this, two indirect methods were used: static adsorption with a polarimetric control and gas chromatography. Both methods indicated the chiral recognition ability of the adsorbents used.     

Self‐Assembly Studies of a Chiral Bisurea‐Based Superhydrogelator

A chiral bisurea‐based superhydrogelator that is capable of forming supramolecular hydrogels at concentrations as low as 0.2 mM is reported. This soft material has been characterized by thermal studies, rheology, X‐ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and by various spectroscopic techniques (electronic and vibrational circular dichroism and by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy). The expression of chirality on the molecular and supramolecular levels has been studied and a clear amplification of its chirality into the achiral analogue has been observed. Furthermore, thermal analysis showed that the hydrogelation of compound 1 has a high response to temperature, which corresponds to an enthalpy‐driven self‐assembly process. These particular thermal characteristics make these materials easy to handle for soft‐application technologies.     

手性金纳米团簇:一种新型近红外荧光探针

近红外荧光成像具有低背景荧光干扰、强组织穿透力和对生物机体无光损伤等优点, 因此发展具有良好生物相容性、量子产率高、化学及光稳定性好的水溶性长波段近红外荧光探针成为目前的研究热点. 与有机近红外荧光染料相比, 无机纳米近红外荧光探针因其具有较高的摩尔消光吸光系数和荧光量子产率、抗光漂白能力强、发射光谱集中且可调等特点而备受重视. 采用N-异丁酰基-L(D)-半胱氨酸(N-isobutyryl-L(D)-cysteine, L(D)-NIBC)手性对映异构体作为还原剂和稳定剂一步法直接制备得到两种平均粒径小于2 nm的水溶性手性金纳米团簇(L-NIBC-AuNCs和D-NIBC-AuNCs). CD光谱显示二者在230~360 nm波段的圆二色性完美对称, 荧光光谱显示二者均在900~1000 nm的近红外波段具有较强的荧光发射峰, 且二者的荧光量子产率分别达到6.9% (L-NIBC-AuNCs)和8.2% (D-NIBC-AuNCs), 细胞毒性实验表明这两种手性金纳米团簇均无细胞毒性. 上述结果表明两种手性金纳米团簇不仅符合成为近红外荧光探针的基本要求, 而且还具有不对称光学活性和潜在的手性识别能力等独特性质. 手性金纳米团簇具有成为一类全新的近红外荧光探针的潜力, 为将来实现对特定分子通过手性识别来进行体内近红外荧光示踪和成像提供了全新的思路.     

Cethrene: A Helically Chiral Biradicaloid Isomer of Heptazethrene

We report the synthesis and properties of “cethrene”, the only helically chiral isomer of heptazethrene with a biradicaloid singlet ground state. Cethrene gives a well‐resolved EPR spectrum at room temperature and its structure was confirmed by 2D NMR and absorption spectroscopies. Our experiments and calculations show that the helical twist affects its electronic properties and decreases the singlet–triplet energy gap when compared to that of planar heptazethrene. Cethrene undergoes an intramolecular cyclization within several hours at room temperature.