Synthesis, Helical Chirality, and Self-Assembling Hierarchical Structures of Amino Acid-Containing Polyacetylenes

Creation of unnatural helical macromolecules and construction of biomimetic hierarchical structures are of both scientific value and technological implication. In this work, we synthesized a group of amphiphilic polyacetylenes of high molecular weights (up to million daltons) in high yields. The helical chirality of the macromolecular chains can be continuously and reversibly tuned by simple external stimuli such as solvent and pH. The helical polymers, in response to the changes in their environments, self-associate into macromolecular assemblies reminiscent of natural organizational structures such as double helix, twisted cable, spherical vesicle, hairpin loop, extended fibril, coiling ribbon, honeycomb pattern, and mollusk shape.