Helix induction in poly(phenylacetylene)s bearing achiral oligoglycine pendants by chiral oligopeptides in water

Intermolecular hydrogen binding, combined with electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, which can be used in water for the helicity induction with a predominant screw sense poly(phenylacetylenes) with achiral oligoglycine pendants for intermolecular hydrogen-bonding sites, was reported. Three new poly(phenylacetylenes) bearing achiral oligoglycine residues were designed and synthesized by the polymerization of the monomers with a water-soluble rhodium complex in the presence of NaOH. All the polymers were quantitatively obtained, and their stereoregularities were confirmed to be highly cis-transoidal on the basis of their characteristics in NMR spectra. The effect of the charges of the oligoalanines on the helicity induction in polymers was also investigated. It was observed that the poly(phenylacetylenes) have additional amide residues as the pendants, which may be used for selective inclusion of specific chiral guets within their cavities to produce more sophisticated supramolecular helical assemblies with helical dyes.