Homochiral Supramolecular Polymerization of an "S"-shaped Chiral Monomer: Translation of Optical Purity into Molecular Weight Distribution

An "S"-shaped chiral motif of a p-xylylene-bridged bis(cyclic dipeptide) (1), having four hydrogen-bonding amide functionalities, formed a homochiral supramolecular polymer in solution. X-ray crystallography of a slightly modified version of 1 for an enhanced crystallinity showed one-dimensional columnar assemblies via four double hydrogen-bonding interactions. Model studies with half-protected analogues of 1 indicated a nearly perfect enantioselectivity in hydrogen-bonding dimerization. When 1 was not racemic but enriched in either of the enantiomers, a supramolecular polymer with a bimodal molecular weight distribution resulted, due to the formation of two homochiral polymers with different molecular weights. By taking advantage of this, separation of optically pure 1 from an enantiomerically unbalanced mixture was possible by means of size-exclusion chromatography.