Chirality control in optically active polysilane aggregates.

A novel strategy for controlling the higher order chirality of aggregates prepared from enantiopure polysilanes is experimentally probed and discussed. Structurally similar poly[n-alkyl(aryl)]silanes were synthesized in which one side chain comprised the chiral (S)-2-methylbutyl group and the other an achiral m- or p-alkyl-substituted phenyl ring. In solution the polymers adopt helical conformations with the same induced preferential screw sense chirality, as evidenced by circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy.

Control of chiral ordering in aggregated poly[3-(S)-[2-methylbutyl]thiophene] by a doping-dedoping process.

The chiral ordering in aggregated poly(3-alkylthiophene) can be controlled by a metal salt-dependent doping-dedoping process. Enhancement or reduction in the chiral anisotropy factor depends on the doping level, such that doping driven by polymer-metal salt interactions, and dedoping driven by aggregate formation must be balanced in order to achieve maximal chiral ordering. This phenomenon provides a new basis to control chiral arrangement in conjugated polymer aggregates, relying solely on doping, and thus avoiding tedious modification of side-chain or main-chain structures.