Design of High-Density Helical Polymer Brush on Silica Nanoparticles for the Size Recognition of Fullerene Molecules

One-Pot Synthesis, Circularly Polarized Luminescence, and Controlled Self-Assembly of Janus-Type Miktoarm Star Copolymers

With the aim of broadening the scope of Janus-type polymers with new functionalities, Janus-type miktoarm star copolymers comprising helical poly(phenyl isocyanide) (PPI) and a vinyl polymer were designed and synthesized via a combination of Pd(II)-initiated isocyanide polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). A functional β-cyclodextrin bearing 7 Pd(II) complexes at one side and 14 bromine groups at the other side ((Pd(II))7-CD-(Br)14) was prepared and used as an initiator for the one-pot polymerization of phenyl isocyanide and the ATRP of vinyl monomers in a living and controlled manner. A variety of Janus-type copolymers with different structures and tunable compositions were facilely obtained by using this method. Thus, Janus-type copolymers composed of helical PPIs and tetraphenylethylene-modified vinyl polymers exhibited a significant circularly polarized luminescence performance in both soluble and aggregated states. Meanwhile, Janus-type copolymers containing PPIs and hydrophilic vinyl polymers presented amphiphilicity and self-assembled into diverse morphologies.

Side-chain functionalized supramolecular helical brush copolymers

The construction of a supramolecular brush copolymer featuring a helical backbone is described. The pendant chains are grafted onto the backbone through metal coordination.

Helical polymer self-assembly and chiral nanostructure formation

This review surveys recent progress towards robust chiral nanostructure fabrication techniques using synthetic helical polymers, the unique inferred properties that these materials possess, and their intricate connection to natural, biological chirality.

Helix-Sense-Selective Encapsulation of Helical Poly(lactic acid)s within a Helical Cavity of Syndiotactic Poly(methyl methacrylate) with Helicity Memory

We report a highly enantio- and helix-sense-selective encapsulation of helical poly(lactic acid)s (PLAs) through a unique "helix-in-helix" superstructure formation within the helical cavity of syndiotactic poly(methyl methacrylate) (st-PMMA) with a one-handed helicity memory, which enables the separation of the enantiomeric helices of the left (M)- and right (P)-handed-PLAs. The M- and P-helical PLAs with different molar masses and a narrow molar mass distribution were prepared by the ring-opening living polymerization of the optically pure l- and d-lactides, respectively, followed by end-capping of the terminal residues of the PLAs with a 4-halobenzoate and then a C₆₀ unit, giving the C₆₀-free and C₆₀-bound M- and P-PLAs. The C₆₀-free and C₆₀-bound M- and P-PLAs formed crystalline inclusion complexes with achiral st-PMMA accompanied by a preferred-handed helix induction in the st-PMMA backbone, thereby producing helix-in-helix superstructures with the same-handedness to each other. The induced helical st-PMMAs were retained after replacement with the achiral C₆₀, indicating the memory of the induced helicity of the st-PMMAs. Both the C₆₀-free and C₆₀-bound helical PLAs were enantio- and helix-sense selectively encapsulated into the helical hollow space of the optically active M- and P-st-PMMAs with the helicity memory prepared using chiral amines. The M- and P-PLAs are preferentially encapsulated within the M- and P-st-PMMA helical cavity with the same-handedness to each other, respectively, independent of the terminal units. The C₆₀-bound PLAs were more efficiently and enantioselectively trapped in the st-PMMA compared to the C₆₀-free PLAs. The enantioselectivities were highly dependent on the molar mass of the C₆₀-bound and C₆₀-free PLAs and significantly increased as the molar mass of the PLAs increased.

Preparation of High-Density Polymer Brushes with a Multihelical Structure

It is well-known that a mixture of isotactic and syndiotactic polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) forms a stereocomplex consisting of a multihelical structure in which an isotactic chain is surrounded by a syndiotactic chain. Here, we report the basic structure of the stereocomplex formed when the syndiotactic PMMA chains are tethered to a silicon substrate and form a high-density polymer brush. The influence of geometric confinement was investigated by preparing the high-density polymer brushes on a flat and spherical substrate. In both cases, mixing the untethered isotactic PMMA with the grafted syndiotactic PMMA led to the formation of a stereocomplex with a multihelical structure. Static contact angle measurements showed a hindered surface mobility at the outermost surface of the polymer brush, indicating that the stereocomplex forms a crystalline structure. A syndiotactic polymer brush with substituted fluoroalkyl groups was prepared to increase the contrast for grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray diffraction (GIWAXD) measurements. The GIWAXD results verified that the stereocomplex forms a crystalline structure oriented perpendicular to the substrate with a relatively low degree of orientation.