Abstract
The induction of supramolecular chirality from achiral polymers has been widely investigated in composite systems consisting of a chiral guest, achiral host, and solvents. To further study and understand the process of chirality transfer from a chiral solvent or chiral molecules to an achiral polymer backbone or side-chain units, an alternative is to reduce the components in the supramolecular assembled systems. Herein, achiral side-chain azobenzene (Azo)-containing polymers, poly(6-[4-(4-methoxyphenylazo) phenoxy] hexyl methacrylate) (PAzoMA), with different Mns, were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Preferred chirality from supramolecular assembled trans-Azo units of PAzoMAs is successfully induced solely by the neat limonene. These aggregates of the polymers in limonene solution were characterized by circular dichroism (CD), UV-vis spectra, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) under different temperatures. The temperature plays an important role in the course of chiral induction. Meanwhile, supramolecular chirality can be constructed in the solid films of the achiral side-chain Azo-containing polymers that were triggered by limonene vapors. Also, it can be erased after heated above the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polymer, and recovered after cooling down in the limonene vapors. A chiroptical switch can be built by alternately changing the temperature. The solid films show good chiral memory behaviors. The current results will facilitate studying the mechanism of chirality transfer induced by chiral solvent and improve potential application possibilities in chiral film materials.
Highlights
Chirality is a common phenomenon in nature and organisms, such as spiral amino acids, vines, conches, and even the galactic system [1]
We present the construction of supramolecular chirality from the aggregation of an achiral side-chain Azo-containing polymer in the solution state induced by pure limonene, and in the solid films triggered by chiral limonene vapor
In In summary, thethe supramolecular chirality was successfully introduced to achiral side chain
Summary
Chirality is a common phenomenon in nature and organisms, such as spiral amino acids, vines, conches, and even the galactic system [1]. Polymers 2018, 10, 612 building blocks has very important significance in theoretical research and practical application Many strategies, such as chiral liquid-crystal field [8], chiral solvent [9,10,11], circularly polarized light (CPL) [12,13,14], interfacial interaction [15], and gelation [16] have been reported to produce supramolecular chirality from achiral polymer systems. Much effort has been paid to simplifying the assembled components and studying the inducing mechanism, we still have a problem remaining to be solved of whether the construction of supramolecular chirality in the achiral side-chain Azo-containing polymer can be achieved by pure limonene under the controlled temperature. We present the construction of supramolecular chirality from the aggregation of an achiral side-chain Azo-containing polymer in the solution state induced by pure limonene, and in the solid films triggered by chiral limonene vapor. The supramolecular chirality of the polymer film can be memorized well
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