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Temperature-Responsive Supramolecular Chiral Switch Achieved by Macrocyclic Confinement.
Xuan Zhao1, Shuangqi Song1, Hengzhi Zhang1
1College of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, P. R. China.
JACS Au
|January 30, 2026
Summary
Hydroxypropyl-β/γ-cyclodextrin (HPβ/γCD) and cucurbit[8]-uril (CB[8]) create tunable nanoaggregates with phenylalanine dipeptide-modified pyrene (PFF). These supramolecular systems exhibit chiral transmission and temperature-controlled switching for applications in logic gates and encryption.
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Chiroptical Materials
Background:
- Host-guest complexation is crucial for designing functional supramolecular materials.
- Chiral recognition and transmission are key challenges in developing advanced molecular systems.
- Controlling the morphology and properties of nanoaggregates is essential for novel applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To construct tunable supramolecular nanoaggregates using cyclodextrins and cucurbiturils.
- To investigate the chiral transmission from phenylalanine dipeptide to pyrene moiety.
- To develop temperature-controlled supramolecular chiral switches for advanced applications.
Main Methods:
- Host-guest complexation of phenylalanine dipeptide-modified pyrene (PFF) with hydroxypropyl-β/γ-cyclodextrin (HPβ/γCD) and cucurbit[8]-uril (CB[8]).
- Morphological characterization of nanoaggregates, including nanofibers, nanoparticles, nanotubes, and nanosheets.
- Spectroscopic analysis (fluorescence and circular dichroism) to confirm chiral transmission and quantify properties.
- Molecular dynamics and density functional theory calculations to elucidate complexation mechanisms.
- Evaluation of thermal responsiveness and application in chiral logic gates and encryption.
Main Results:
- HPβ/γCD and CB[8] formed tunable nanoaggregates with PFF, exhibiting topological transformations.
- Efficient chiral transmission from phenylalanine dipeptide to pyrene was achieved, leading to distinct circular dichroism signals.
- HPγCD showed enhanced fluorescence and CD properties compared to HPβCD due to double PFF encapsulation.
- CB[8] demonstrated stronger binding affinity and a significant positive CD peak.
- Supramolecular chiral switches displayed reversible thermal responsiveness (20-75 °C) and were successfully applied in chiral logic gates and polarization-dependent encryption.
Conclusions:
- HPγCD and CB[8] are effective hosts for constructing PFF-based supramolecular chiral switches.
- The developed systems exhibit tunable morphology, efficient chiroptical transmission, and thermal responsiveness.
- These supramolecular chiral switches hold promise for applications in advanced optical devices and information security.
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