Cholate-glutamic acid hybrid foldamer and its fluorescent detection of Zn2+

A hybrid foldamer containing six cholate units and two glutamic acids was labeled with two pyrenyl groups at the chain ends. Folding was particularly favorable in the presence of zinc(II), as shown by the enhanced emission of the pyrene excimer. The sensitivity of the detection depended on the relative population of the folded and unfolded conformers, being highest when about 90% of the foldamer was in the unfolded state.