Stereochemical language in supramolecular polymer chemistry: How we can do better

Abstract

AbstractStereochemical nomenclature remains a point of attention; especially now different fields in chemistry become more and more entwined. The ubiquitously used terminology “amplification of chirality” is fundamentally incorrect, as chirality cannot be amplified. Instead, we now recommend “amplification of asymmetry” as an alternative in the field of (supramolecular) polymer chemistry. Amplification of asymmetry refers to the increase of the magnitude of the asymmetry in the enantiomeric composition either at the molecular or the supramolecular level, and covers observations of nonproportional increase in optical activity in helical (supramolecular) polymers and in high enantiomeric excesses found when nonlinear effects are operative in asymmetric catalysis.