Helical Nanostructures: Chirality Transfer and a Photodriven Transformation from Superhelix to Nanokebab

Photosensitive cinnamic acid conjugated glutamides were designed to demonstrate photocontrolled hierarchical chirality transfer and switching in self‐assembled systems. In methanol, the cinnamic acid derivatives self‐assembled into superhelices, which could be switched into nanokebabs upon UV irradiation. These two nanostructures showed opposite helicity. The chiral nanostructures could further convey their chirality to achiral fluorescent molecules and result in the emission of circularly polarized luminescence (CPL). Remarkably, the CPL followed the helicity of the chiral nanostructure rather than the inherent molecular chirality. Photodriven dimerization of the cinnamic moiety lead to a significant change in molecular packing and subsequent switching of the helicity of the formed nanostructures.     

Entropically Favoured Assembly of Pyrazine‐Based Helical Fibers into Superstructures: Achiral/ Chiral Guest‐Induced Chirality Transformation

The development of synthetic helical structures undergoing stimuli‐responsive chirality transformations is important for an understanding of the role of chirality in natural systems. However, controlling supramolecular chirality in entropically driven assemblies in aqueous media is challenging. To develop stimuli‐responsive assemblies, we designed and synthesized pyrazine derivatives with l ‐alanine groups as chiral building blocks. These systems undergo self‐assembly in aqueous media to generate helical fibers and the embedded alanine groups transfer their chirality to the assembled structures. Furthermore, these helical fibers undergo a Ni²⁺‐induced chirality transformation. The study demonstrates the role of intermolecular hydrogen bonding, π–π stacking, and the hydrophobic effect in the Ni²⁺‐mediated transition of helical fibers to supercoiled helical ensembles which mimic the formation of superstructures in biopolymers.