Frontispiece: Hierarchy of Asymmetry at Work: Chain-Dependent Helix-to-Helix Interactions in Supramolecular Polymers

Synergy of Axial and Point Chirality to Construct Helical N -Heterotriangulene-Based Supramolecular Polymers

Supramolecular polymerization of electronically complementary linear motifs: anti-cooperativity by attenuated growth†

Anti-cooperative supramolecular polymerization by attenuated growth exhibited by self-assembling units of two electron-donor benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene (BDT) derivatives (compounds 1a and 1b) and the electron-acceptor 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY) (compound 2) is reported. Despite the apparent cooperative mechanism of 1 and 2, AFM imaging and SAXS measurements reveal the formation of small aggregates that suggest the operation of an anti-cooperative mechanism strongly conditioned by an attenuated growth. In this mechanism, the formation of the nuclei is favoured over the subsequent addition of monomeric units to the aggregate, which finally results in short aggrega…

Hierarchy of Asymmetry at Work: Chain-Dependent Helix-to-Helix Interactions in Supramolecular Polymers.

A detailed investigation of the hierarchy of asymmetry operating in the self-assembly of achiral (1) and chiral ((S)-2 and (R)-3) 1,3,5-triphenylbenzenetricarboxamides (TPBAs) is reported. The aggregation of these TPBAs is conditioned by the point chirality at the peripheral side chains for (S)-2 and (R)-3. An efficient helix-to-helix interaction that goes further in the organization of fibrillar bundles is experimentally detected and theoretically supported only for the achiral TPBA 1. The effective interdigitation of the achiral aliphatic side chains produces a social self-sorting to form preferentially heterochiral macromolecular aggregates.

Impact of Molecular Size and Shape on the Supramolecular Co‐Assembly of Chiral Tricarboxamides: A Comparative Study

We report herein a comparative investigation of the chiral amplification features of a series of three families of C 3 -symmetric tricarboxamides: 1,3,5-triphenylbenzenetricarboxamides (TPBAs), benzenetricarboxamides (BTAs) and oligo(phenylene ethynylene) tricarboxamides (OPE-TAs). As previously observed for BTAs and OPE-TAs, a similar dichroic response is obtained for TPBAs decorated with three, two or only one chiral side chain bearing stereogenic centers, thus confirming the efficient transfer of point chirality to the supramolecular helical aggregates. Unlike BTAs and OPE-TAs, the chiral amplification ability of TPBAs in majority rules experiments shows a negligible dependence on the nu…

Flipping Motion To Bias the Organized Supramolecular Polymerization of N-Heterotriangulenes

Synergistic experimental and theoretical studies have allowed the disentangling of the possible pathways for the supramolecular polymerization of a series of dicyanovinyl-bridged N-heterotriangulene (NHT) derivatives bearing benzamide units with achiral (1a) and chiral (1b,c) side chains. The synthesis of these bowl-shaped, self-assembling units yields a mixture of monomeric species with C3- and C1-symmetry. Both monomeric species are able to self-assemble into different supramolecular aggregates with sufficient stability to coexist in freshly prepared solutions. The dissimilar ratio of the aggregates initially generated results in different spectroscopic features and, more specifically, in…