Volume 135, Issue 13 e202217234
Forschungsartikel

Visible Helicity Induction and Memory in Polyallene toward Circularly Polarized Luminescence, Helicity Discrimination, and Enantiomer Separation

Dr. Lei Xu

Dr. Lei Xu

State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012 China

Key Laboratory of Green and Precise Synthetic Chemistry and Applications, Ministry of Education, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, Anhui, 235000 P. R. China

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Yong-Jie Wu

Yong-Jie Wu

Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and Anhui Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials and Devices, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui Province, 230009 China

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Run-Tan Gao

Run-Tan Gao

State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012 China

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Shi-Yi Li

Shi-Yi Li

State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012 China

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Prof. Dr. Na Liu

Prof. Dr. Na Liu

The School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, 1266 Fujin Road, Changchun, Jilin, 130021 P. R. China

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Prof. Dr. Zong-Quan Wu

Corresponding Author

Prof. Dr. Zong-Quan Wu

State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012 China

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First published: 06 February 2023

Abstract

Inspired by biological helices (e.g., DNA), artificial helical polymers have attracted intense attention. However, precise synthesis of one-handed helices from achiral materials remains a formidable challenge. Herein, a series of achiral poly(biphenyl allene)s with controlled molar mass and low dispersity were prepared and induced into one-handed helices using chiral amines and alcohols. The induced one-handed helix was simultaneously memorized, even after the chiral inducer was removed. The switchable induction processes were visible to naked eye; the achiral polymers exhibited blue emission (irradiated at 365 nm), whereas the induced one-handed helices exhibited cyan emission with clear circularly polarized luminescence. The induced helices formed stable gels in various solvents with helicity discrimination ability: the same-handed helix gels were self-healing, whereas the gels of opposite-handed helicity were self-sorted. Moreover, the induced helices could separate enantiomers via enantioselective crystallization with high efficiency and switchable enantioselectivity.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available in the Supporting Information of this article.

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