CPL-active water-soluble aromatic oligoamide foldamers

A series of enantiopure water-soluble quinoline-based foldamers were prepared and their optical and chiroptical properties in water were investigated. The new hexameric sequences incorporated either cationic or anionic water-solubilizing chains, and one of the oligomers was additionally functionalized by an electron donating moiety to further modulate the optoelectronic properties. A systematic study revealed strong electronic circular dichroism and circularly-polarized luminescence properties in water, with dissymmetry factors up to 2 × 10^-2 in absorption and 5 × 10^-3 in emission, regardless of the nature of the solubilizing chains and functions. This study therefore highlights new opportunities for the development of water-soluble and chiroptically-active artificial systems towards chirality-associated applications in aqueous or biological media.