Controlling Helical Asymmetry in Supramolecular Copolymers by In Situ Chemical Modification

Amplification of asymmetry in complex molecular systems results from a delicate interplay of chiral supramolecular structures and their chemical reactivity. In this work, we show how the helicity of supramolecular assemblies can be controlled by performing a non-stereoselective methylation reaction on comonomers. By methylating chiral glutamic acid side chains in benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (BTA) derivatives to form methyl esters, the assembly properties are modulated. As reacted comonomers, the methyl ester-BTAs induce a stronger bias in the screw-sense of helical fibers predominantly composed of stacked achiral alkyl-BTA monomers. Hence, applying the in situ methylation in a system with the glutamic acid-BTA comonomer induces asymmetry amplification. Moreover, mixing small quantities of enantiomers of glutamic acid-BTA and glutamate methyl ester-BTA in the presence of the achiral alkyl-BTAs leads to deracemization and inversion of the helical structures in solution via the in situ reaction toward a thermodynamic equilibrium. Theoretical modeling suggests that the observed effects are caused by enhanced comonomer interactions after the chemical modification. Our presented methodology enables on-demand control over asymmetry in ordered functional supramolecular materials.