Macromolecular helicity inversion of poly(phenylacetylene) derivatives induced by various external stimuli

Unique macromolecular helicity inversion of stereoregular, optically active poly(phenylacetylene) derivatives induced by external achiral and chiral stimuli is briefly reviewed. Stereoregular, cis-transoidal poly(phenylacetylene)s bearing an optically active substituent, such as (1R,2S)-norephedrine (poly- 1 ) and β-cyclodextrin residues (poly- 2 ), show an induced circular dichroism (ICD) in the UV-visible region of the polymer backbone in solution due to a predominantly one-handed helical conformation of the polymers. However, poly- 1 undergoes a helix-helix transition upon complexation with chiral acids having an R configuration, and the complexes exhibit a dramatic change in the ICD of poly- 1 . Poly- 2 also shows the inversion of macromolecular helicity responding to molecular and chiral recognition events that occurred at the remote cyclodextrin residues from the polymer backbone; the helicity inversion is accompanied by a visible color change. A similar helix-helix transition of poly((R)- or (S)-(4-((1-(1-naphthyl)ethyl)carbamoyl)phenyl)acetylene) is also briefly described.     

Poly(phenylacetylene)s bearing a peptide pendant: helical conformational changes of the polymer backbone stimulated by the pendant conformational change

Optically active, cis-transoid poly(phenylacetylene) derivatives bearing a poly(gamma-benzyl-L-glutamate) [poly(PBGAm)] or poly(L-glutamic acid) [poly(PGAm)] chain as the pendant were prepared by polymerisation of the corresponding macromonomer with a rhodium catalyst followed by hydrolysis of the pendant ester groups. Their conformational changes in solution, induced by a helix-coil transition of the pendant polypeptides, were investigated using circular dichroism (CD) and absorption spectroscopies. A series of macromonomers with a different peptide chain lengths was synthesised by the polymerisation of the N-carboxyanhydride of gamma-benzyl-L-glutamate with a phenylacetylene bearing an alanine residue as the initiator. The obtained macromonomers (PBGAm) were further polymerised with a rhodium catalyst in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) to yield novel poly(phenylacetylene)s [poly(PBGAm)] with a poly(gamma-benzyl-L-glutamate) pendant. The poly(PBGAm) exhibited an induced circular dichroism (ICD) in the UV/Vis region of the polymer backbone in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), probably due to the prevailing one-handed helix formation. The Cotton effect signs of a DMSO solution of the poly(PBGAm) were inverted and accompanied by a visible colour change in the presence of an increasing amount of chloroform or DMF containing lithium chloride. The results suggest that poly(PBGAm) may undergo a conformational change such as a helix-helix transition with a different helical pitch responding to a change in the alpha-helix content of the poly(gamma-benzyl-L-glutamate) pendant. Moreover, a water-soluble poly(PGAm) also showed a similar, but dramatic change in its helical conformation with a visible colour change stimulated by a helix-coil transition of the pendant poly(L-glutamic acid) chains by changing the pH in water.     

Helical arrays of pendant fullerenes on optically active poly(phenylacetylene)s

Novel, optically active, stereoregular poly(phenylacetylene)s bearing the bulky fullerene as the pendant were synthesized by copolymerization of an achiral phenylacetylene bearing a [60]fullerene unit with optically active phenylacetylene components in the presence of a rhodium catalyst. The C60-bound phenylacetylene was prepared by treatment of C60 with N-(4-ethynylbenzyl)glycine in a Prato reaction. The obtained copolymers exhibited induced circular dichroism (ICD) in solution both in the main-chain region and in the achiral fullerene chromophoric region, although their ICD intensities were highly dependent on the structures of the optically active phenylacetylenes and the solution temperature. These results indicate that the optically active copolymers form one-handed helical structures and that the pendant achiral fullerene groups are arranged in helical arrays with a predominant screw sense along the polymer backbone. The structures and morphology of the copolymers on solid substrates were also investigated by atomic force microscopy.     

Synthesis of poly(phenylacetylene)s containing trifluoromethyl groups for gas permeable membrane

Poly(phenylacetylene)s containing trifluoromethyl groups on their benzene rings were synthesized, and gas permeation behaviors of their films were examined. Permeability coefficients for O₂ and N₂, diffusion selectivity (D_o2/D_N2) and solubility selectivity (SO₂/SN₂) were estimated. The gas permeability of polymer films were found to be enhanced remarkably with introduction of trifluoromethyl groups into the polymers: poly[2,4,5-tris(trifluoromethyl)phenylacetylene], Po₂ = 7.8 × 10^?8 [cm³ (STP) cm cm^?2 s^?1 cm Hg^?1], Po₂/PN₂ = 2.1. The relationship between the polymer structures and their gas permeability was discussed.     

Influence of stereoregularity and linkage groups on chiral recognition of poly(phenylacetylene) derivatives bearing L‐leucine ethyl ester pendants as chiral stationary phases for HPLC

Stereoregular poly(phenylacetylene) derivatives bearing L ‐leucine ethyl ester pendants, poly‐1 and poly‐2a , were, respectively, synthesized by the polymerization of N‐(4‐ethynylphenylcarbamoyl)‐L ‐leucine ethyl ester ( 1 ) and N‐(4‐ethynylphenyl‐carbonyl)‐L ‐leucine ethyl ester ( 2 ) using Rh(nbd)BPh₄ as a catalyst, while stereoirregular poly‐2b was synthesized by solid‐state thermal polymerization of 2 . Their chiral recognition abilities for nine racemates were evaluated as chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after coating them on silica gel. Both poly‐1 and poly‐2a with a helical conformation showed their characteristic recognition depending on coating solvents and the linkage groups between poly(phenylacetylene) and L ‐leucine ethyl ester pendants. Poly‐2a with a shorter amide linkage showed higher chiral recognition than poly‐1 with a longer urea linkage. Coating solvents played an important role in the chiral recognition of both poly‐1 and poly‐2a due to the different conformation of the polymer main chains induced by the solvents. A few racemates were effectively resolved on the poly‐2a coated with a MeOH/CHCl₃ (3/7, v/v) mixture. The separation factors for these racemates were comparable to those obtained on the very popular CSPs derived from polysaccharide phenylcarbamates. Stereoirregular poly‐2b exhibited much lower chiral recognition than the corresponding stereoregular, helical poly‐2a , suggesting that the regular structure of poly(phenylacetylene) main chains is essential to attain high chiral recognition. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013     

Helicity induction on a poly(phenylacetylene) derivative bearing aza‐18‐crown‐6 ether pendants in water

A stereoregular poly(phenylacetylene) bearing the bulky aza‐18‐crown‐6 ether as the pendant (poly‐ 1 ) formed a predominantly one‐handed helical conformation upon complexation with various chiral compounds, such as amino acids, peptides, aminosugars, amines, and amino alcohols in water. The complexes exhibited an induced circular dichroism (ICD) in the UV–visible region of the polymer main chain. Therefore, poly‐ 1 can be used as a novel probe for determining the chirality of chiral compounds in water. The assay of 19 common free L ‐amino acids gave the same ICD sign at 0 °C except for L ‐phenylalanine. The effects of pH, temperature, guest concentration, and organic solvent content on the ICD during the complexation of poly‐ 1 with chiral compounds were also investigated. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1004–1013, 2003     

Temperature‐Induced Chiroptical Changes in a Helical Poly(phenylacetylene) Bearing N,N‐Diisopropylaminomethyl Groups with Chiral Acids in Water

A stereoregular poly(phenylacetylene) bearing an N,N‐diisopropylaminomethyl group as the pendant (poly‐ 1 ) changed its structure into the prevailing one‐handed helical conformation upon complexation with optically active acids in water. The complexes exhibited induced circular dichroism (ICD) in the UV/Vis region of the polymer backbone. Poly‐ 1 is highly sensitive to the chirality of chiral acids and can detect a small enantiomeric imbalance in these acids, in particular, phenyl lactic acid in water. For example, a 0.005 % enantiomeric excess of phenyl lactic acid can be detected by CD spectroscopy. The observed ICD intensity and pattern of poly‐ 1 were dependent on the temperature and concentration of poly‐ 1 , probably due to aggregations of the polymer at high temperature as revealed by dynamic light scattering and AFM. On the basis of the temperature‐dependent ICD changes, the preferred chiral helical sense of poly‐ 1 was found to be controlled by noncovalent bonding interactions by using structurally different enantiomeric acids.     

Morphological characterization of poly(phenylacetylene) nanospheres prepared by homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis

Scanning electron microscopy characterization of the materials obtained by homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic polymerization of phenylacetylene is described. The catalysts used are β‐dioxygenato rhodium(I) complexes. The effects of the reaction medium, presence of a cocatalyst and the type of catalysis (homogeneous or heterogeneous) on the morphology of the polymers obtained have been studied and discussed. Using a supported complex at 0 °C, nanoparticles with a diameter distribution as narrow as 30 to 70 nm were obtained. Polymer nanopowders were found to be unaffected by ageing. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of ortho‐substituents on the synthesis and properties of poly(phenylacetylene)s

The phenylacetylene derivatives (4‐decyloxyphenyl)acetylene ( M1 ), (4‐decyloxy‐2‐methylphenyl)acetylene ( M2 ), and (4‐decyloxy‐2,6‐dimethylphenyl)acetylene ( M3 ) were polymerized by the well‐defined Schrock‐type initiator Mo[N‐2,6‐i‐Pr₂C₆H₃)(CHCMe₂Ph)[OCMe(CF₃)₂]₂ ( I1 ) and by the ill‐defined quaternary system MoOCl₄–n‐Bu₄Sn–EtOH–quinuclidine (1:1:2:1) ( I2 ). Comparison of the compatibility of the initiators with the different monomers revealed a correlation of the size of the ortho‐substituents and the polymerizability of the monomers. M1 and M2 readily polymerized employing I1 , but conversion of the sterically demanding monomer M3 remained incomplete. However, the use of I2 led to high monomer conversions and polymer yields only in case of M2 and M3 . The steric bulkiness of the ortho‐substituents also decisively affected the maximum effective conjugation length (N_eff) of the polymers and hence their absorption maximum (λ_max) as well as their solution stability as shown by UV–vis and GPC studies, respectively. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 4466–4477, 2004     

Degradation behavior of stereoregular cis–transoidal poly(phenylacetylene)s

The stability of poly(phenylacetylene)s in solution was systematically studied. Cis–transoidal poly(phenylacetylene) prepared with a Rh catalyst readily underwent autoxidative degradation into oligomers, whereas a W‐based polymer with a trans‐rich geometrical structure degraded slowly under similar conditions. The degradation of W‐based poly(phenylacetylene) was independent of the solvents, whereas the degradation of the cis–transoidal material strongly depended on the solvents, and very rapid degradation was observed in toluene and CHCl₃. A reduction in the degradation rate in the absence of oxygen and the appearance of carbonyl groups in an IR spectrum and aldehyde protons in a ¹H NMR spectrum of the resulting oligomers indicated the direct participation of oxygen in the degradation where light was supposed to assist the degradation by producing radicals on the main chain. The cis content of cis–transoidal poly(phenylacetylene) was unchanged during the degradation, unlike for the acid‐catalyzed decomposition, in which the cis content decreased linearly as the molecular weight decreased. Ring‐substituted poly(phenylacetylene)s degraded slowly compared with poly(phenylacetylene), regardless of the kind of substituent, which suggests that steric factors affected the degradation rate. The use of radical scavengers such as 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐1‐oxyl and diphenylpicrylhydrazil suppressed the decomposition. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3130–3136, 2001     

Helix formation by poly{bis(hydroxyethyl)-L-glutamine}

Circular dichroism spectra are reported for poly {bis(hydroxyethyl)-L-glutamine}. Its conformation is predominantly that of a statistical coil at or above ambient temperature in water. It becomes partially helical upon cooling. The helix-forming potential of this polypeptide in water is between that of poly(hydroxyethyl-L-glutamine) and poly(hydroxypropyl-L-glutamine). The polypeptide has a large helix content when the solvent is rich in trifluoroethanol.     

Synthesis and property of helical poly(phenylacetylene)s bearing chiral ruthenium complexes and real space imaging of meso- and nanoscopic structures by atomic force microscopy

Novel sets of helical poly(phenylacetylene)s bearing a chiral ruthenium (Ru) complex with opposite chirality (Δ and Λ forms) as a bulky pendant (poly- 1 and poly- 2 ) were synthesized through the polymerization of the corresponding optically pure phenylacetylenes with a rhodium catalyst, and their structures in solution and morphology on solid substrates were investigated with NMR, ultraviolet–visible, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopies and with atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. The obtained cis–transoidal polymers (poly- 1 and poly- 2 ) showed characteristic Cotton effects in the region of metal-to-ligand charge transfer of the chiral Ru pendants. Poly- 1 and poly- 2 were thought to have a predominantly one-handed helical conformation induced by the chiral pendants. However, the apparent Cotton effects derived from the helically twisted π-conjugated polymer backbone could not be observed, probably because of the strong chiral chromophoric pendants. However, in the AFM images, the helical polymers adsorbed on mica could be easily discerned as isolated strands, and the visualization and discrimination of the right- and left-handed helical structures of the chiral polymers were achieved by high-resolution AFM imaging. On the basis of the AFM observations together with the CD measurements and computational calculation results, possible structures of poly- 1 and poly- 2 were examined. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 4621–4640, 2004     

The synthesis of poly(phenylacetylene)s with bulky chiral silyl groups and the thermal stability of their helical conformation

The polymerization of (−)‐p‐[(tert‐butylmethylphenyl)silyl]phenylacetylene (t‐BuMePhSi*PA) and (+)‐p‐[{methyl(α‐naphthyl)phenyl}silyl]phenylacetylene (MeNpPhSi*PA) with the [(nbd)RhCl]₂ Et₃N catalyst yielded polymers with very high molecular weights over 2 × 10⁶ in high yields. The optical rotations of the formed poly(t‐BuMePhSi*PA) and poly(MeNpPhSi*PA) were as high as −356 and −150° (c = 0.11 g/dL in CHCl₃), respectively. The circular dichroism (CD) spectrum of poly(t‐BuMePhSi*PA) in CHCl₃ exhibited very large molar ellipticities ([θ]) in the UV region: [θ]_max = 9.2 × 10⁴ ° · cm² · dmol⁻¹ at 330 nm and −8.0 × 10⁴ ° · cm² · dmol⁻¹ at 370 nm. The [θ]_max values of poly(MeNpPhSi*PA) were also fairly large: [θ]_max = 7.1 × 10⁴ ° · cm² · dmol⁻¹ at 330 nm and −5.3 × 10⁴ ° · cm² · dmol⁻¹ at 370 nm. The optical rotations of poly(t‐BuMePhSi*PA) and poly(MeNpPhSi*PA), measured in tetrahydrofuran, chloroform, and toluene solutions, were hardly dependent on temperature in the range 22–65 °C. The CD effects of these polymers hardly changed in the temperature range 28–80 °C, either. These results indicate that the helical structures of these polymers are thermally appreciably stable. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 71–77, 2001     

Solvent-induced switching of the macromolecular helicity of poly[(4-carboxyphenyl)acetylene] induced by a single chiral amino alcohol

Cis–transoidal poly[(4-carboxyphenyl)acetylene] (poly- 1 ) complexed with optically active amines and amino alcohols showed an induced circular dichroism (ICD) in the ultraviolet–visible region because of a predominantly one-handed helix formation in water and in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The Cotton effect signs of the poly- 1 /chiral amino alcohol complexes were inverted in the presence of water, whereas the ICD pattern of the poly- 1 /chiral amine complexes showed no change, regardless of the water content. These results demonstrated that the helix sense of poly- 1 induced by optically active amino alcohols through noncovalent acid–base interactions could be switched by changes in the solvent ratio in the DMSO–water mixtures. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 3625–3631, 2003     

Microwave‐assisted synthesis and characterization of heterocyclic,and optically active poly(amide‐imide)s incorporating L‐amino acids

N,N′‐Pyromelliticdiimido‐di‐L ‐alanine ( 1 ), N,N′‐pyromelliticdiimido‐di‐L ‐phenylalanine ( 2 ), and N,N′‐pyromelliticdiimido‐di‐L ‐leucine ( 3 ) were prepared from the reaction of pyromellitic dianhydride with corresponding L ‐amino acids in a mixture of glacial acetic acid and pyridine solution (3/2 ratio) under refluxing conditions. The microwave‐assisted polycondensation of the corresponding diimide‐diacyl chloride monomers ( 5–7 ) with 4‐phenyl‐2,6‐bis(4‐aminophenyl) pyridine ( 10 ) or 4‐(p‐methylthiophenyl)‐2,6‐bis(4‐aminophenyl) pyridine ( 12 ) were carried out in a laboratory microwave oven. The resulting poly(amide‐imide)s were obtained in quantitative yields, and they showed admirable inherent viscosities (0.12–0.55 dlg^?1), were soluble in polar aprotic solvents, showed good thermal stability and high optical purity. The synthetic compounds were characterized by IR, MS, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and specific rotation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and chiral recognition of helical poly(phenylacetylene)s bearing l‐phenylglycinol and its phenylcarbamates as pendants

A series of novel stereoregular one‐handed helical poly(phenylacetylene) derivatives ( PPA‐1 and PPA‐1a～g ) bearing l ‐phenylglycinol and its phenylcarbamate residues as pendants was synthesized for use as chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for HPLC, and their chiral recognition abilities were evaluated using 13 racemates. The phenylcarbamate residues include an unsubstituted phenyl, three chloro‐substituted phenyls (3‐Cl, 4‐Cl, 3,5‐Cl₂), and three methyl‐substituted phenyls (3‐CH₃, 4‐CH₃, 3,5‐(CH₃)₂). The acidity of the phenylcarbamate N‐H proton and the hydrogen bonds formed between the N‐H groups of the phenylcarbamate residues were dependent on the type, position, and the number of substituents on the phenylcarbamate residues. The chiral recognition abilities of these polymers significantly depended on the dynamic helical conformation of the main chain with more or less regularly arranged pendants. The chiral recognition abilities seem to be improved by the introduction of substituents on the phenylcarbamate residues, and PPA‐1d bearing the more acidic N‐H groups due to the 3,5‐dichloro substituents, exhibited a higher chiral recognition than the others. PPA‐1d showed an efficient chiral recognition for some racemates, and baseline separation was possible for racemates 5 , 11 , 12 , and 15 . © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 809–821     

Chirality sensing of chiral pyrrolidines and piperazines with a liquid crystalline dynamic helical poly(phenylacetylene) bearing ethyl phosphonate pendant groups

Stereoregular cis‐transoidal poly(phenylacetylene) bearing a phosphonic acid monoethyl ester as the pendant group (poly‐ 1 ‐H) was found to form a preferred‐handed helix upon complexation with various optically active pyrrolidines and piperazines in dilute dimethyl sulfoxide and water, and the complexes exhibited characteristic induced circular dichroisms (ICDs) in the UV‐vis region of the polymer backbone. The Cotton effect signs in water reflect the absolute configuration of the pyrrolidines. The sodium salt of poly‐ 1 ‐H (poly‐ 1 ‐Na) and poly‐ 1 ‐H in the presence of optically active amines formed lyotropic nematic and cholesteric liquid crystalline phases in concentrated water solutions, respectively, indicating the rigid‐rod characteristic of the polymer main chain regardless of the lack of a single‐handed helix, as evidenced by the long persistence length of about 18 nm before and after the preferred‐handed helicity induction in the polymer. X‐ray diffraction of the oriented films of the nematic and cholesteric liquid crystalline polymers exhibited almost the same diffraction pattern, suggesting that both polymers have the same helical structure; dynamically racemic and one‐handed helices, respectively. On the basis of the X‐ray analysis, a possible helical structure of poly‐ 1 is proposed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 1383–1390, 2010     

Synthesis,characterization, and chiroptical property of optically active poly(urea-urethane)s

Five new optically active poly(urea-urethane)s were synthesized by solution polyaddition of (1S,2S)-(+)-2-amino-3-methoxy-1-phenyl-1-propanol ( 4 ) with diisocyanates (diphenylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate, toluene-2,4-diisocyanate, hexamethylene diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate, m-xylylene diisocyanate) at 80°C for 60 h. In some cases, the reaction mixture transformed into a gel when cooled to room temperature. The reduced viscosities are between 0.14 and 0.63 dL/g depending on the solvents and diisocyanates. Thermal behaviors of these polymers were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The T_g and crystallization temperature (T_c) were in the range of 80–200°C and 220–238°C, respectively. Thermal decomposition started at about 275°C, and the residual weights at 400°C were 15–60% depending on the polymers. The conformation of the polymers in film state was studied by circular dichroism (CD) spectra, by comparison with the corresponding model compounds which were synthesized from 4 and phenyl isocyanate or propyl isocyanate. Polymers derived from aromatic diisocyanates formed as ordered conformation in the film state, while those from aliphatic diisocyanates did not. After packing as chiral stationary phases of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the polymers showed selective resolution to trans-stilbene oxide and trans-1,2-cyclopentanedicarboxanilide. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.