Hierarchical self-assembly of supramolecular helical fibres from amphiphilic C3-symmetrical functional tris(tetrathiafulvalenes).

The preparation and self-assembly of the enantiomers of a series of C3 -symmetric compounds incorporating three tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) residues is reported. The chiral citronellyl and dihydrocitronellyl alkyl chains lead to helical one dimensional stacks in solution. Molecular mechanics and dynamics simulations combined with experimental and theoretical circular dichroism support the observed helicity in solution. These stacks self-assemble to give fibres that have morphologies that depend on the nature of the chiral alkyl group and the medium in which the compounds aggregate. An inversion of macroscopic helical morphology of the citronellyl compound is observed when compared to analogous 2-methylbutyl chains, which is presumably a result of the stereogenic centre being further away from the core of the molecule. This composition still allows both morphologies to be observed, whereas an achiral compound shows no helicity. The morphology of the fibres also depends on the flexibility at the chain ends of the amphiphilic components, as there is not such an apparently persistent helical morphology for the dihydrocitronellyl derivative as for that prepared from citronellyl chains.

Twists and turns in the hierarchical self-assembly pathways of a non-amphiphilic chiral supramolecular material.

The formation of helical self-assembled fibres by a C(3) symmetric molecule incorporating three tetrathiafulvalene units is shown to be influenced dramatically by the processing conditions, leading to a variety of different chiral forms, including unprecedented croissants.

Hierarchical chiral expression from the nano- to mesoscale in synthetic supramolecular helical fibers of a nonamphiphilic C3-symmetrical π-functional molecule.

The controlled preparation of chiral structures is a contemporary challenge for supramolecular science because of the interesting properties that can arise from the resulting materials, and here we show that a synthetic nonamphiphilic C(3) compound containing π-functional tetrathiafulvalene units can form this kind of object. We describe the synthesis, characterization, and self-assembly properties in solution and in the solid state of the enantiopure materials. Circular dichroism (CD) measurements show optical activity resulting from the presence of twisted stacks of preferential helicity and also reveal the critical importance of fiber nucleation in their formation. Molecular mechanics (MM) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations combined with CD theoretical calculations demonstrate that the (S) enantiomer provides the (M) helix, which is more stable than the (P) helix for this enantiomer. This relationship is for the first time established in this family of C(3) symmetric compounds. In addition, we show that introduction of the "wrong" enantiomer in a stack decreases the helical reversal barrier in a nonlinear manner, which very probably accounts for the absence of a "majority rules" effect. Mesoscopic chiral fibers, which show inverted helicity, i.e. (P) for the (S) enantiomer and (M) for the (R) one, have been obtained upon reprecipitation from dioxane and analyzed by optical and electronic microscopy. The fibers obtained with the racemic mixture present, as a remarkable feature, opposite homochiral domains within the same fiber, separated by points of helical reversal. Their formation can be explained through an "oscillating" crystallization mechanism. Although C(3) symmetric disk-shaped molecules containing a central benzene core substituted in the 1,3,5 positions with 3,3'-diamido-2,2'-bipyridine based wedges have shown peculiar self-assembly properties for amphiphilic derivatives, the present result shows the benefits of reducing the nonfunctional part of the molecule, in our case with short chiral isopentyl chains. The research reported herein represents an important step toward the preparation of functional mesostructures with controlled helical architectures.