Chiral Supramolecular Organization Research Articles

Fused-Ring Electron-Acceptor Single Crystals with Chiral 2D Supramolecular Organization for Anisotropic Chiral Optoelectronic Devices.

Supramolecular chiral organization gives π-conjugated molecules access to fascinating specific interactions with circularly polarized light (CPL). Such a feature enables the fabrication of high-performance chiral organic electronic devices that detect or emit CPL directly. Herein, it is shown that chiral fused-ring electron-acceptor BTP-4F single-crystal-based phototransistors demonstrate distinguished CPL discrimination capability with current dissymmetry factor exceeding 1.4, one of the highest values among state-of-the-art direct CPL detectors. Theoretical calculations prove that the chirality at the supramolecular level in these enantiomeric single crystals originates from chiral exciton coupling of a unique quasi-2Dsupramolecular organization consisting of interlaced molecules with opposite helical conformation. Impressively, such supramolecular organization produces a higher dissymmetry factor along the preferred growth direction of the chiral single crystals in comparison to that of the short axis direction. Furthermore, the amplified, inverted, and also anisotropic current dissymmetry compared to optical dissymmetry is studied by finite element simulations. Therefore, a unique chiral supramolecular organization that is responsible for the excellent chiroptical response and anisotropic electronic properties is developed, which not only enables the construction of high-performance CPL detection devices but also allows a better understanding of the structure-property relationships in chiral organic optoelectronics.

Chiral Oligothiophenes with Remarkable Circularly Polarized Luminescence and Electroluminescence in Thin Films.

This work reports the first observation of circularly polarized electroluminescence (CPEL) in thin films of self-organized oligothiophenes. Four new 1,4-phenylene and 9H-carbazole-based oligothiophenes were ad hoc designed to ensure efficient spontaneous formation of chiral supramolecular order. They were easily synthesized and their chiroptical properties in thin films were measured. Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) spectra revealed glum in the order of 10-2 on a wide wavelengths range, originating from their self-organized chiral supramolecular organization. These molecules have reasonable properties as organic semiconductors and for this reason they can constitute the active layer of circularly-polarized organic light-emitting diodes (CP-OLEDs). Thus, we could investigate directly their electroluminescence (EL) and CPEL, without resorting to blends, but rather in a simple multilayer device with basic architecture. This is the first example of a CP-OLED with active layer made only of a small organic compound.

Chiral supramolecular organization from a sheet-like achiral gel: a study of chiral photoinduction.

Chiral photoinduction in a photoresponsive gel based on an achiral 2D architecture with high geometric anisotropy and low roughness has been investigated. Circularly polarized light (CPL) was used as a chiral source and an azobenzene chromophore was employed as a chiral trigger. The chiral photoinduction was studied by evaluating the preferential excitation of enantiomeric conformers of the azobenzene units. Crystallographic data and density functional theory (DFT) calculations show how chirality is transferred to the achiral azomaterials as a result of the combination of chiral photochemistry and supramolecular interactions. This procedure could be applied to predict and estimate chirality transfer from a chiral physical source to a supramolecular organization using different light-responsive units.

Bottom-Up Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Chiral Porphyrins through Coordination and Hydrogen Bonds.

A series of chiral synthetic compounds is reported that shows intricate but specific hierarchical assembly because of varying positions of coordination and hydrogen bonds. The evolution of the aggregates (followed by absorption spectroscopy and temperature-dependent circular dichroism studies in solution) reveal the influence of the proportion of stereogenic centers in the side groups connected to the chromophore ring in their optical activity and the important role of pyridyl groups in the self-assembly of these chiral macrocycles. The optical activity spans 2 orders of magnitude depending on composition and constitution. Two of the aggregates show very high optical activity even though the isolated chromophores barely give a circular dichroism signal. Molecular modeling of the aggregates, starting from the pyridine-zinc(II) porphyrin interaction and working up, and calculation of the circular dichroism signal confirm the origin of this optical activity as the chiral supramolecular organization of the molecules. The aggregates show a broad absorption range, between approximately 390 and 475 nm for the transitions associated with the Soret region alone, that spans wavelengths far more than the isolated chromophore. The supramolecular assemblies of the metalloporphyrins in solution were deposited onto highly oriented pyrolitic graphite in order to study their hierarchy in assembly by atomic force microscopy. Zero and one-dimensional aggregates were observed, and a clear dependence on deposition temperature was shown, indicating that the hierarchical assembly took place largely in solution. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy images of porphyrins and metalloporphyrins precipitated under out-of-equilibrium conditions showed the dependence of the number and position of chiral amide groups in the formation of a fibrillar nanomaterial. The combination of coordination and hydrogen bonding in the complicated assembly of these molecules-where there is a clear hierarchy for zinc(II)-pyridyl interaction followed by hydrogen-bonding between amide groups, and then van der Waals interactions-paves the way for the preparation of molecular materials with multiple chromophore environments.

Is Supramolecular Filament Chirality the Underlying Cause of Major Morphology Differences in Amyloid Fibrils?

The unique enhanced sensitivity of vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) to the formation and development of amyloid fibrils in solution is extended to four additional fibril-forming proteins or peptides where it is shown that the sign of the fibril VCD pattern correlates with the sense of supramolecular filament chirality and, without exception, to the dominant fibril morphology as observed in AFM or SEM images. Previously for insulin, it has been demonstrated that the sign of the VCD band pattern from filament chirality can be controlled by adjusting the pH of the incubating solution, above pH 2 for “normal” left-hand-helical filaments and below pH 2 for “reversed” right-hand-helical filaments. From AFM or SEM images, left-helical filaments form multifilament braids of left-twisted fibrils while the right-helical filaments form parallel filament rows of fibrils with a flat tape-like morphology, the two major classes of fibril morphology that from deep UV resonance Raman scattering exhibit the same cross-β-core secondary structure. Here we investigate whether fibril supramolecular chirality is the underlying cause of the major morphology differences in all amyloid fibrils by showing that the morphology (twisted versus flat) of fibrils of lysozyme, apo-α-lactalbumin, HET-s (218–289) prion, and a short polypeptide fragment of transthyretin, TTR (105–115), directly correlates to their supramolecular chirality as revealed by VCD. The result is strong evidence that the chiral supramolecular organization of filaments is the principal underlying cause of the morphological heterogeneity of amyloid fibrils. Because fibril morphology is linked to cell toxicity, the chirality of amyloid aggregates should be explored in the widely used in vitro models of amyloid-associated diseases.

Levels of supramolecular chirality of polyglutamine aggregates revealed by vibrational circular dichroism

Polyglutamine (PolyQ) aggregates are a hallmark of several severe neurodegenerative diseases, expanded CAG-repeat diseases in which inheritance of an expanded polyQ sequence above a pathological threshold is associated with a high risk of disease. Application of vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) reveals that these PolyQ fibril aggregates exhibit a chiral supramolecular organization that is distinct from the supramolecular organization of previously observed amyloid fibrils. PolyQ fibrils grown from monomers with Q repeats 35 and above (Q⩾35) exhibit approximately 10-fold enhancement of the same VCD spectrum compared to the already enhanced VCD of fibrils formed from Q repeats 30 and below (Q⩽30).

Influence of the regioregularity on the chiral supramolecular organization of poly(3-alkylsulfanylthiophene)s

The manuscript investigates the influence of the regioregularity (RR) of poly(3-alkylsulfanylthiophene)s (P3AST) on their properties. Therefore, a series of P3ASTs (P1–P5) with different RR were synthesized using a combination of a “reversed McCullough method” and the GRIM method. The degree of RR was determined by 1H NMR spectroscopy. A detailed chiroptical study in good solvent, poor solvent and film was performed, which revealed that the tendency to form chiral supramolecular aggregates clearly depends on the RR, but that the relation is not simply continuously increasing. Instead, the strongest effects were observed in P3ASTs with high, but not 100% RR. As a consequence, a similar behaviour can be expected for a regioregular and a particular irregular P3AST. This hypothesis was tested on a regioregular and an irregular P3AST that proved to have similar chiroptical properties in a previous study. Their properties in the solid state were investigated in detail using STM and AFM.

Structural Rules for the Chiral Supramolecular Organization of OPE-based Discotics: Induction of Helicity and Amplification of Chirality

A systematic study on the structural rules that regulate the chiral supramolecular organization of oligo(phenylene ethynylene) (OPE)-based discotics is presented. This study is based on the chirooptical properties of two different series of triangular shape OPEs. The first of them is composed by OPE-based trisamides with a variable number of chiral side chains (compounds 1) that self-assemble following a cooperative mechanism. The CD experiments carried out with these desymmetrized trisamides demonstrate that only one stereogenic center is sufficient to achieve a helical organization with a preferred handedness. However, the ability to amplify the chirality decreases upon decreasing the number of stereocenters at the peripheral side chains. The second series is constituted by triangular shape OPEs with a variable number of ether and amide functional groups and constant absolute configuration of the stereogenic centers at all of the peripheral chains (compounds 2). These compounds do not self-assemble into helical aggregates as demonstrated by the corresponding CD studies. The amplification of chirality observed in the mixtures of some of the components of both series has been investigated. The combination of chiral trisamide 1d with chiral but nonhelical 2b or 2c does not produce an amplification of chirality most probably due to the mismatch between the stereogenic centers of both components. However, the combination of achiral trisamide 1a with chiral but nonhelical bisamide 2c generates, in a cooperative manner, helical structures with a preferred handedness in a process involving the transfer of helicity from 1a to 2c and the transfer of chirality from 2c to 1a. The structural features of the OPE discotics also exert a strong influence on the columnar aggregates. Thus, while achiral 1a bundles into thick filaments to form an organogel, the gelation ability of these triangular OPEs decreases upon increasing the number of stereogenic centers, being totally canceled for compounds 2 in which the amide functionalities are replaced by ether linkages. Finally, we have also registered AFM images of the helical aggregates obtained from the mixture of 1a+2c, which implies an efficient transfer of the chiral objects from solution to surfaces. The study presented herein increases the understanding of the structural rules that regulate the chiral supramolecular organization of discrete molecules in general and, more specifically, those based on π-conjugated oligomers.

Bistable mesomorphism and supramolecular stereomutation in chiral liquid crystal azopolymers

A series of side-chain liquid crystal polymers based on an azobenzene mesogenic unit bearing a terminal chiral chain has been synthesized. The thermal and mesomorphic properties of the homo- and copolymers have been investigated by polarizing optical microscopy, DSC and X-ray diffraction. Polymers having a chiral methylheptyloxy terminal chain (P8S and P8R) exhibit surprising mesomorphic behavior, which depends on the thermal history of the sample. The influence of the molecular chirality and thermal history on the supramolecular organization of the chromophores have also been studied. Supramolecular chiral aggregation of the azobenzenes seems to be responsible for the observed chiroptical properties of these materials, both in solution and solid state (polymeric films), with the handedness controlled by the molecular chirality. Stereomutation of the chiral supramolecular organization is detected when polymeric films of P8S and P8R experience a different thermal history.

Photoinduction and Control of the Supramolecular Chirality in Liquid Crystalline Azomaterials

Liquid crystals (LC) containing azobenzene moieties are materials of interest in different optical technologies. Applications of azomaterials derived from the capability of reversible isomerization between the E- and Z-configurations. Among the different applications reported so far, photoinduction or chirality deserves to be studied in details as can provide, e.g., new chiroptical switches and molecular rotors based on achiral compounds. Here, we review our recent work on the formation, manipulation and control of the chiral supramolecular organization of LC azomaterials using circular polarized light as the chiral stimulus.

Functionalization of Fullerenes and Carbon Nanotubes

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Functionalization of fullerenes and carbon nanotubes

AbstractOur research is devoted to the design of new materials composed of various molecular building blocks such as fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, porphyrines, dendrimers, calixarenes and acetylene compounds. These functional units are linked by covalent bonds or via supramolecular organization. The aim is to generate structures, which, for example, represent models for redox proteins, enable a directed photo‐induced electron or energy transfer, can form micellar containers for the encapsulation of guest molecules, are useful for applications in the field of molecular electronics and serve as new redox active drugs. The basis for the successful realization of such complex architectures is a) the development of new synthesis concepts, for example, for chiral and amphiphilic building blocks as well as for derivatives of carbon rich molecules, b) the systematic investigation of the self‐assembly of achiral and chiral supramolecular organization motifs and c) the calculation of molecular properties with quantum mechanical methods. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Strong enhancement of nonlinear optical properties through supramolecular chirality

A new approach to second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) materials is reported, in which chirality and supramolecular organization play key roles. Langmuir-Blodgett films of a chiral helicene are composed of supramolecular arrays of the molecules. The chiral supramolecular organization makes the second-order NLO susceptibility about 30 times larger for the nonracemic material than for the racemic material with the same chemical structure. The susceptibility of the nonracemic films is a respectable 50 picometers per volt, even though the helicene structure lacks features commonly associated with high nonlinearity. Susceptibility components that are allowed only by chirality dominate the second-order NLO response.