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Supramolecular chiral emergence in water even after compensating for helix chirality in vesicular helix-peptide-aromatic frameworks

Polymer Journal volume 55, pages 877–883 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

Supramolecular chiral emergence from achiral molecules is studied with amphiphilic polypeptides upon forming molecular assemblies of nanosheets and vesicles in water. A newly designed amphiphilic polypeptide contains a hydrophilic poly(Sar) block, two hydrophobic helical blocks, and a π-conjugate block (SL-π-D). The two helical blocks are (L-Leu-Aib)4 and (D-Leu-Aib)4 of right- and left-handed helices, respectively, to compensate for the helical chirality resulting in the achiral molecule of SL-π-D. SL-π-D self-assembled in trifluoroethanol (TFE)/water solutions into uniform nanosheets and vesicles depending on the TFE content in the solutions. The induced Cotton effect due to exciton coupling appears in the achiral π-conjugate block upon self-assembling into nanosheets and vesicles. This supramolecular chiral emergence is enhanced in vesicles compared to nanosheets. The origin of the chirality intrinsically arises from the structure of (helix block)-(π-conjugate block)-(helix block) and further from vesicular morphology.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported partially by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP19K15375 and JP 22K14553, and The Kyoto University Foundation. TEM analysis was supported by the Analysis and Development System for Advanced Materials (ADAM) of RISH, Kyoto University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Material Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto-Daigaku-Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan

    Yuya Yoshimoto, Yuya Suzuki, Shunsaku Kimura & Hirotaka Uji

  2. Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH), Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan

    Tomoya Imai

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  1. Yuya Yoshimoto
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Correspondence to Hirotaka Uji.

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Yoshimoto, Y., Suzuki, Y., Imai, T. et al. Supramolecular chiral emergence in water even after compensating for helix chirality in vesicular helix-peptide-aromatic frameworks. Polym J 55, 877–883 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-023-00781-w

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