Evidence of Entropy-Driven Bistability through 15N NMR Analysis of a Temperature- and Solvent-Induced, Chiroptical Switching Polycarbodiimide

Abstract

The thermo- and solvo-driven chiroptical switching process observed in specific polycarbodiimides occurs in a concerted fashion with large deviations in specific optical rotation (OR) and CD Cotton effect as a consequence of varying populations of two distinct polymer conformations. These two conformations are clearly visible in the (15)N NMR and IR spectra of the (15)N-labeled poly((15)N-(1-naphthyl)-N'-octadecylcarbodiimide) (Poly-3) and poly((15)N-(1-naphthyl)-(15)N'-octadecylcarbodiimide) (Poly-5). Using van't Hoff analysis, the enthalpies and entropies of switching (ΔHswitching; ΔSswitching) were calculated for both Poly-3 and Poly-5 using the relative integrations of both peaks in the (15)N NMR spectra at different temperatures to measure the populations of each state. The chiroptical switching (i.e., transitioning from state A to state B) was found to be an endothermic process (positive ΔHswitching) for both Poly-3 and Poly-5 in all solvents studied, meaning the conformation correlating with the downfield chemical shift (ca. 148 ppm, state B) is the higher enthalpy state. The compensating factor behind this phenomenon has been determined to be the large increase in entropy in CHCl3 as a result of the switching. Herein, we propose that the increased entropy in the system is a direct consequence of increased disorder in the solvent as the switching occurs. Specifically, the chloroform solvent molecules are very ordered around the polymer chains due to favorable solvent-polymer interactions, but as the switching occurs, these interactions become less favorable and disorder results. The same level of solvent disorder is not achieved in toluene, causing the chiroptical switching process to occur at higher temperatures.