Synthesis Amphiphilic One-Handed Helical Ladder Polymers with Circularly Polarized Luminescence

Helical ladder polymers attract attention because of their well-defined, one-handed helical ladder structures and unique properties, which differ from precursor polymers that have random-coil conformations. However, the synthesis of helical ladder polymers is difficult and inhibits their functions a...

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Main Authors: Ziheng Pan, Wei Zheng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Molecules
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/12/2606
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author Ziheng Pan
Wei Zheng
author_facet Ziheng Pan
Wei Zheng
author_sort Ziheng Pan
collection DOAJ
description Helical ladder polymers attract attention because of their well-defined, one-handed helical ladder structures and unique properties, which differ from precursor polymers that have random-coil conformations. However, the synthesis of helical ladder polymers is difficult and inhibits their functions and applications. In this study, we reported the synthesis of amphiphilic optically active 2,2′-tethered binaphthyl-embedded helical ladder polymers carrying hydrophilic oligo (ethylene glycol) (OEG) as side chains through quantitative and chemoselective acid-promoted intramolecular cyclization of random-coil precursor polymers. The obtained helical ladder polymers exhibited dramatic circular dichroism (CD) and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) enhancement. Moreover, we further established a circularly polarized fluorescence-energy transfer (CPF-ET) strategy in which the helical ladder polymers work as a donor, emitting circularly polarized fluorescence to excite an achiral fluorophore (coumarin-6) as the acceptor, producing green CPL with luminescence dissymmetry factor (2.5 × 10<sup>−4</sup>).
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spelling doaj-art-bbf10fa21e92449eb366048835e64d842025-08-20T03:16:21ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492025-06-013012260610.3390/molecules30122606Synthesis Amphiphilic One-Handed Helical Ladder Polymers with Circularly Polarized LuminescenceZiheng Pan0Wei Zheng1Interdisciplinary Materials Research Center, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, ChinaInterdisciplinary Materials Research Center, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, ChinaHelical ladder polymers attract attention because of their well-defined, one-handed helical ladder structures and unique properties, which differ from precursor polymers that have random-coil conformations. However, the synthesis of helical ladder polymers is difficult and inhibits their functions and applications. In this study, we reported the synthesis of amphiphilic optically active 2,2′-tethered binaphthyl-embedded helical ladder polymers carrying hydrophilic oligo (ethylene glycol) (OEG) as side chains through quantitative and chemoselective acid-promoted intramolecular cyclization of random-coil precursor polymers. The obtained helical ladder polymers exhibited dramatic circular dichroism (CD) and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) enhancement. Moreover, we further established a circularly polarized fluorescence-energy transfer (CPF-ET) strategy in which the helical ladder polymers work as a donor, emitting circularly polarized fluorescence to excite an achiral fluorophore (coumarin-6) as the acceptor, producing green CPL with luminescence dissymmetry factor (2.5 × 10<sup>−4</sup>).https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/12/2606chiralhelical ladder polymerscircularly polarized luminescence
spellingShingle Ziheng Pan
Wei Zheng
Synthesis Amphiphilic One-Handed Helical Ladder Polymers with Circularly Polarized Luminescence
Molecules
chiral
helical ladder polymers
circularly polarized luminescence
title Synthesis Amphiphilic One-Handed Helical Ladder Polymers with Circularly Polarized Luminescence
title_full Synthesis Amphiphilic One-Handed Helical Ladder Polymers with Circularly Polarized Luminescence
title_fullStr Synthesis Amphiphilic One-Handed Helical Ladder Polymers with Circularly Polarized Luminescence
title_full_unstemmed Synthesis Amphiphilic One-Handed Helical Ladder Polymers with Circularly Polarized Luminescence
title_short Synthesis Amphiphilic One-Handed Helical Ladder Polymers with Circularly Polarized Luminescence
title_sort synthesis amphiphilic one handed helical ladder polymers with circularly polarized luminescence
topic chiral
helical ladder polymers
circularly polarized luminescence
url https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/12/2606
work_keys_str_mv AT zihengpan synthesisamphiphiliconehandedhelicalladderpolymerswithcircularlypolarizedluminescence
AT weizheng synthesisamphiphiliconehandedhelicalladderpolymerswithcircularlypolarizedluminescence