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Updated: Jan 26, 2026

From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding
Published on: March 24, 2018
Orthogonal Halogen-Bonding-Driven 3D Supramolecular Assembly of Right-Handed Synthetic Helical Peptides
Peng Teng1, Geoffrey M Gray1, Mengmeng Zheng1
1Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA.
Abstract:
Peptide-mediated self-assembly is a prevalent method for creating highly ordered supramolecular architectures. Herein, we report the first example of orthogonal C-X⋅⋅⋅X-C/C-X⋅⋅⋅π halogen bonding and hydrogen bonding driven crystalline architectures based on synthetic helical peptides bearing hybrids of l-sulfono-γ-AApeptides and natural amino acids. The combination of halogen bonding, intra-/intermolecular hydrogen bonding, and intermolecular hydrophobic interactions enabled novel 3D supramolecular assembly. The orthogonal halogen bonding in the supramolecular architecture exerts a novel mechanism for the self-assembly of synthetic peptide foldamers and gives new insights into molecular recognition, supramolecular design, and rational design of biomimetic structures.
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Ionic Bonds
When atoms gain or lose electrons to achieve a more stable electron configuration they form ions. Ionic bonds are electrostatic attractions between ions with opposite charges. Ionic compounds are rigid and brittle when solid and may dissociate into their constituent ions in water. Covalent compounds, by contrast, remain intact unless a chemical reaction breaks them.
Opposing Charges Hold Ions Together in Ionic Compounds
Ionic bonds are reversible electrostatic interactions between ions...
Covalent Bonds

