Chiral Gold Nanorods with Five-Fold Rotational Symmetry and Orientation-Dependent Chiroptical Properties of Their Monomers and Dimers

Chiral plasmonic nanoparticles have attracted much attention because of their strong chiroptical responses and broad scientific applications. However, the types of chiral plasmonic nanoparticles have remained limited. Herein we report on a new type of chiral nanoparticle, chiral Au nanorod (NR) with five-fold rotational symmetry, which is synthesized using chiral molecules. Three different types of Au seeds (Au elongated nanodecahedrons, nanodecahedrons, and nanobipyramids) are used to study the growth behaviors. Different synthesis parameters, including the chiral molecules, surfactant, reductant, seeds, and Au precursor, are systematically varied to optimize the chiroptical responses of the chiral Au NRs. The chiral scattering measurements on the individual chiral Au NRs and their dimers are performed. Intriguingly, the chiroptical signals of the individual chiral Au NRs and their end-to-end dimers are similar, while those of the side-by-side dimers are largely reduced. Theoretical calculations and numerical simulations reveal that the different chiroptical responses of the chiral NR dimers are originated from the coupling effect between the plasmon resonance modes. Our study enriches chiral plasmonic nanoparticles and provides valuable insight for the design of plasmonic nanostructures with desired chiroptical properties.     

Hierarchical chiral framework based on a rigid adamantane tripod on Au(111)

We have investigated the tripod-shaped bromo adamantane trithiol (BATT) molecule on Au(111) using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at 4.7 K. Adsorption of BATT leads to formation of highly ordered self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with three-point contacts on Au(111). The structure of these SAMs has been found to have a two-tiered hierarchical chiral organization. The self-assembly of achiral monomers produces chiral trimers, which then act as the building blocks for chiral hexagonal supermolecules. SAMs begin to form from the racemic mixture of assembled molecules in ribbon-shaped islands, followed by the transformation to enantiomeric domains when SAM layers develop two-dimensionally across hcp domains. Such a chiral phase transition at the two-dimensional domain can arise from a subtle balance between molecule-substrate and intermolecular interactions. Two structural factors, the S atom (stabilization) and the methylene groups (chirality) located just above the S atom, induce the chiral ordering of BATT on Au(111).     

Chiral structures of 6,12-dibromochrysene on Au(111) and Cu(111) surfaces

Nanoscale low-dimensional chiral architectures are increasingly receiving scientific interest, because of their potential applications in many fields such as chiral recognition, separation and transformation. Using 6,12-dibromochrysene (DBCh), we successfully constructed and characterized the large-area two-dimensional chiral networks on Au(111) and one-dimensional metal-liganded chiral chains on Cu(111) respectively. The reasons and processes of chiral transformation of chiral networks on Au(111) were analyzed. We used scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) to analyze the electronic state information of this chiral structure. This work combines scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) with non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) techniques to achieve ultra-high-resolution characterization of chiral structures on low-dimensional surfaces, which may be applied to the bond analysis of functional nanofilms. Density functional theory (DFT) was used to simulate the adsorption behavior of the molecular and energy analysis in order to verify the experimental results.     

超分子手性聚苯胺-金复合纳米酶的构建及其对映选择性催化

对映选择性催化是生物体内普遍存在的反应,与生命的产生代谢有着非常紧密的联系。设计研发具有高对映选择性催化效果的纳米酶在各类生物医药相关领域都至关重要。目前,关于纳米酶的研究大都集中在提高其催化活性,而涉及纳米酶对映选择性的研究相对较少。已有对映选择性酶催化报道表明,手性纳米酶主要通过手性分子修饰纳米颗粒来构建。考虑到天然酶的选择性不仅仅取决于氨基酸等手性分子的手性,而且与蛋白质空间排列和折叠所产生的超分子手性微环境密切相关,因此构建具有超分子手性微环境的纳米酶也成为设计具有优异对映选择性纳米酶的有效途径。此外,为了进一步提高手性纳米酶的对映选择性,深入理解手性纳米酶选择性因子的影响因素也成为一个重要研究方向。基于此,本文构建了一种由不含任何手性分子的M-聚苯胺(M-PANI)扭曲纳米带和三种不同尺寸(3、10和16 nm)的金纳米颗粒(AuNPs)组成的超分子纳米复合材料。扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜、紫外-可见吸收光谱和X射线光电子能谱结果证实了M-PANI-Au超分子纳米复合材料的成功制备。同时,圆二色光谱显示M-PANI-Au超分子复合材料具有清晰的手性信号,表明它们在手性纳米催化方面具有潜在应用。以手性R-/S-3, 4-二羟基苯丙氨酸(R-/S-DOPA)对映体的催化氧化为模型反应,该类纳米酶对R-DOPA的催化选择性均高于对S-DOPA。进一步研究表明,得益于超分子手性聚苯胺载体和3 nm AuNPs之间的强手性传递作用,3 nm Au NPs(2.59)负载的M-PANI比10 nm Au NPs(1.46)和16 nm NPs(1.58)负载的M-PANI具有更高的选择因子。这一发现阐明了手性转移是调控对映选择性催化的关键影响因素,为负载型超分子手性纳米酶的构建和设计提供了方向和指导。     

Rational creation of chiral multinuclear and metallosupramolecular compounds from thiol-containing amino acids

Developments in the rational creation of chiral multinuclear and metallosupramolecular compounds based on linear-type metal complexes with penicillaminate (pen), as well as their functionality as a multidentate chiral metalloligand, is the main subject of this paper. The reactions of a mononuclear Au(I) complex, [Au(d-pen)(2)](3-), in which two d-pen ligands bind to an Au(I) center through thiolato S atoms, with transition metal ions afford a variety of S-bridged heterobimetallic multinuclear complexes, the structures and properties of which are highly dependent on the nature of reacting metal ions. The created multinuclear complexes still act as a metalloligand when they possess free amine and/or carboxylate groups, leading to the formation of heterotrimetallic supramolecular structures by reacting with third metal ions. While the Au-S bonds in [Au(d-pen)(2)](3-) are generally retained in the course of the reactions with metal ions, this is not the case for the Hg-S bonds in the corresponding Hg(II) complex, [Hg(d-pen)(2)](2-). A remarkable chiral behavior of multinuclear complexes composed of [Au(l-cys)(2)](3-) (cys = cysteinate), which is opposite to that composed of [Au(l-pen)(2)](3-), is also presented.     

Optical recognition of surface chirality at Au(hkl) single crystalline surfaces by second harmonic generation rotational anisotropy

Two-dimensional chirality at naturally chiral gold single crystalline surfaces was detected and characterized using optical second harmonic generation (SHG) measurements. SHG rotational anisotropy (SH-RA) patterns at Au(643)S and Au(643)R surfaces were mirror symmetric to each other. Systematic SH-RA measurements at chiral Au(hkl) surfaces with the same step and kink structures but different (111) terrace widths showed a linear correlation between surface step density and SH-RA fitting parameters arising from defects. These results indicate that SH-RA measurements provide information not only on surface chirality but also on density of surface defects.     

Self-assembly of a neutral luminescent Au(12) cluster with D(2) symmetry

The preparation and characterization of luminescent neutral Au(12) shuttle-like complexes is reported which shows a cyclic framework consisting of twelve gold(i) ions arranged in a closed ring via non-covalent Au(i)Au(i) interactions to give a chiral D(2) symmetrical structure.     

Steric tuning of C2-symmetric chiral N-heterocyclic carbene in gold-catalyzed asymmetric cyclization of 1,6-enynes

Steric tuning of C₂-symmetric chiral N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) was performed in Au(I)-catalyzed asymmetric cyclization of 1,6-enyne. Higher enantioselectivity was realized when chiral NHC–AuCl/AgSbF₆ catalysts whose N-substituent on the NHC overlays the Au–Cl bond was utilized.     

Chiral induction by seeding surface assemblies of chiral switches

It is demonstrated by scanning tunneling microscopy that coadsorption of a molecular chiral switch with a complementary, intrinsically chiral induction seed on the Au(111) surface leads to the formation of globally homochiral molecular assemblies.     

Observation of hierarchical chiral structures in 8-nitrospiropyran monolayers

The adsorption and self-organization of racemic mixture of 8-nitrospiropyran (SP8) molecules on Au(111) surfaces was studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV). The SP8 enantiomers, in spite of their low-symmetric and nonplanar molecular structures, formed well-ordered monolayers on Au(111). In the monolayers, we found two types of enantiomorphous, i.e., mirror-imaged, 2D chiral domains, denoted as lambda and delta phases. Both phases consist of periodically packed chiral quatrefoils. In the lambda domain, the quatrefoils are counterclockwise folded, while in the delta domain, the quatrefoils are clockwise folded. High-resolution STM images revealed that each chiral quatrefoil contains four heterochiral dimers and that each dimer is composed of two antiparallelly packed homochiral SP8 molecules. Therefore both of the two mirror-imaged 2D chiral structures are not chirally pure but racemic 2D crystals. A domain boundary, which serves as the glide reflection line between a lambda domain and a delta domain, was also observed along the [11] direction of the Au(111) substrate.     

Highly Efficient Circularly Polarized Luminescence from Chiral Au13 Clusters Stabilized by Enantiopure Monodentate NHC Ligands

Chiral Au nanoclusters have promising application prospects in chiral sensing, asymmetric catalysis, and chiroptics. However, enantiopure superatomic homogold clusters with crystallographic structures emitting bright circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) remain challenging. In this study, we designed chiral N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs), and for the first time enantioselectively synthesized a pair of monovalent cationic superatomic Au₁₃ clusters. This new enantiomeric pair of clusters has a quasi-C₂ symmetric core and exhibited CPL with an unprecedent solution-state quantum yield (QY) of 61 % among those of the atomically precise Au nanoclusters. DFT calculations provided insights into the circular dichroism behavior, and revealed the origin of CPL from superatomic Au clusters. This work opens a new avenue for developing novel homochiral nanoclusters using chiral NHC ligands and provides fundamental understanding of the origin of the chiroptics of metal clusters.     

Supramolecular assembly facilitating adsorbate-induced chiral electronic states in a metal surface

Through the application of optically active second-harmonic generation measurements (OA-SHG) we have demonstrated that the adsorption of amino acids cysteine (HSCH(2)CHNH(2)COOH) and penicillamine (HSC(CH3)(2)CHNH(2)COOH) from solution can induce chiral electronic states in an initially achiral polycrystalline Au film. The chiral induction is strongly dependent upon the pH of the deposition solution; adsorption of penicillamine and cysteine under acidic conditions (pH = 3) induces the same level of optical activity, whereas at pH = 11, the optical activity induced by cysteine is reduced by ca. 50% and penicillamine does not induce optical activity at all. The pH dependence indicates that the presence of interadsorbate hydrogen bonds, and consequently the supramolecular assembly of the adsorbates, facilitates the induction of chiral electronic states in the Au surface. This observation demonstrates that the symmetry properties of the extended structure of the self-assembled layer, and not the local adsorption geometry of the isolated adsorbed moiety, play the lead role in the induction of chiral metallic electronic states. The dependence of the chiral induction on COOH groups is identical to that observed in studies of optical activity in chiral thiol-protected nanoparticles, suggesting a common mechanism for the chiral perturbation in extended films and nanoparticles.     

Surface plasmon resonance spectroscopic chiral discrimination using self-assembled leucine derivative monolayer

Pirkle-type chiral stationary phases (CSPs) showed excellent enantiomeric separation for amino acid derivatives by forming energetically different two transient diastereomeric pi-pi donor-acceptor complexes with two enantiomers. A CSP derived from N-(3,5-dinitrobenzoyl) leucine with a thiol ending group for immobilization on Au was synthesized and self-assembled on Au surface as chiral sensing layer. The monolayer characterized by spectroscopic and microscopic methods such as AFM, FTIR reflection absorption spectroscopy (FTIR-RAS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The enantiospecific detection onto CSP of the leucine derivative was studied by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). (S)-CSP SAM showed high chiral differential detection for (S)-analyte in a range of 1.0x10(-9) to 1.0x10(-4) M. In combination with the SPR method, the leucine derivative monolayer provided a reliable and simple experimental platform for enantiospecific detection.     

Towards asymmetric Au-catalyzed hydroxy- and alkoxycyclization of 1,6-enynes

The efficiency of a Au(III)/chiral ligand system has been studied. The association of several chiral mono- and bidentate phosphanes with gold has been tested in the formal addition of an oxygen nucleophile to an alkene followed by a cyclization process, namely the hydroxycyclization reaction of 1,6-enynes. The use of (R)-4-MeO-3,5-(t-Bu)₂-MeOBIPHEP ligand led to clean cycloisomerizations and afforded the highest enantiomeric excesses. The enantiomeric excesses were highly dependant on the substrate/nucleophile combination. A ³¹P NMR study of the catalytic species tends to prove that Au(III) catalyst may be reduced to Au(I) intermediate in the presence of phosphanes.     

Cyclotrimerization‐Induced Chiral Supramolecular Structures of 4‐Ethynyltriphenylamine on Au(111) Surface

Cyclotrimerization‐induced chiral supramolecular structures of 4‐ethynyltriphenylamine (ETPA) have been synthesized on the Au(111) surface through alkyne‐based reactions. Whereas the ETPA molecules adsorbed on the Au(111) surface remain inert and form a close‐packed self‐assembled structure at room temperature, the combination of scanning tunneling microscopy observations and theoretical calculations unambiguously reveal that the ETPA molecules cyclotrimerize to form new trimer‐like species—1,3,5‐tris[4‐(diphenylamino)phenyl]benzene (TPAPB)—after annealing at 323 K. Further annealing drives these cyclotrimerized TPAPB molecules to form chiral hexagonal supramolecular structures with an extraordinary self‐healing ability.     

Naphtho[2,3-a]pyrene forms chiral domains on Au111

Chiral domains have been prepared by evaporation of a two-dimensionally chiral molecule, naphtho[2,3-a]pyrene (NP), onto the hexagonal Au(111) surface in an ultrahigh vacuum environment. High-resolution UHV scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) showed that NP formed chiral domains consisting of only one 2D enantiomer rather than racemic two-dimensional unit cells. A structural model is proposed that agrees with the STM observations. Chiral pockets between adsorbed molecules may be useful for binding a specific enantiomer of a 3D chiral molecule.     

Enantioseparation of Au20(PP3)4Cl4 Clusters with Intrinsically Chiral Cores

Au₂₀(PP₃)₄Cl₄ (PP₃=tris(2‐(diphenylphosphino)ethyl) phosphine), abbreviated as Au₂₀, is the only Au nanocluster with an intrinsically chiral core without a chiral environment (chiral ligands or Au‐thiolate staples), making it a unique object to understand chiral evolution and explore chiral applications. Unfortunately, the synthesized Au₂₀ is racemic, and its enantiomers have not yet been separated. Herein, we report a supramolecular assembly strategy with α‐cyclodextrin (α‐CD) to afford enantiopure Au₂₀ in bulk, and an enantiomer excess (ee) value of as‐separated Au₂₀ of 97 %. As a result of its high purity, the distinctive optical activity of Au₂₀, which originates from electronic transitions confined in chiral cores, is fully explored. Theoretical studies reveals that the enantioseparation results from the preferential self‐assembly of α‐CD with organic ligands on the surface of right‐handed Au₂₀.     

Highly enantioselective discrimination of amino acids using copper deposition on a gold electrode modified with homocysteine monolayer

An extremely enhanced enantioselectivity was achieved for the detection of enantiomers of alanine (Ala), leucine (Leu), and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) based on the voltammograms for the deposition of Cu from Cu complexes of the amino acids at an Au electrode modified with a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of l-homocysteine (Hcy). The enantioselective current density peak for the Cu deposition was found to change with increasing number of potential cycles after the addition of Cu(II), and the highest enantioselectivity was observed immediately after the addition of Cu(II). Besides, enantioselectivity was not observed with proline, whose five-membered ring contains the nitrogen atom of a secondary amino group, while some amino acids with a primary amine group such as Ala, Leu, and DOPA exhibited enantioselectivity. These results suggest that the chiral ligand exchange reaction at the l-Hcy SAM-modified Au electrode, namely, the enantioselective formation of diastereomeric complexes of Cu(II) with target enantiomers and l-Hcy self-assembled on the Au electrode, plays an important role in the chiral discrimination based on the Cu deposition.     

The chiroptical signature of achiral metal clusters induced by dissymmetric adsorbates

Using a dissymmetrically-perturbed particle-in-a-box model, we demonstrate that the induced optical activity of chiral monolayer protected clusters, such as Whetten's Au28(SG)16 glutathione-passivated gold nanoclusters (J. Phys. Chem. B, 2000, 104, 2630-2641), could arise from symmetric metal cores perturbed by a dissymmetric or chiral field originating from the adsorbates. This finding implies that the electronic states of the nanocluster core are chiral, yet the lattice geometries of these cores need not be geometrically distorted by the chiral adsorbates. Based on simple chiral monolayer protected cluster models, we rationalize how the adsorption pattern of the tethering sulfur atoms has a substantial effect on the induced CD in the NIR spectral region, and we show how the chiral image charge produced in the core provides a convenient means of visualizing dissymmetric perturbations to the achiral gold nanocluster core.     

Electrochemical Recognition of Chiral Molecules with Poly(4‐bromoaniline) Modified Gold Electrode

A poly(4‐bromoaniline) (PBA) film is electrochemically synthesized on a gold electrode for the recognition of amino acids enantiomers. Scanning electron microscopy measurements show that the porous PBA films are made up of nano‐ribbons. At the PBA modified Au electrode differential pulse voltammograms of L ‐ and D ‐glutamic acids not only have very different current densities, but also produce different waveforms, providing an intuitive way to differentiate the two chiral molecules. Similar results are obtained in analyzing L ‐ and D ‐aspartic acids. Control experiments suggest that the observed sensing behavior arises from synergistic interactions between Au and the PBA film, where polymerization at the meta‐position creates a steric structure needed for differentiating chiral molecules.