Adv Polym Sci (2013) 262: 123–140
DOI: 10.1007/12_2013_260
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
Published online: 6 November 2013
Helical Polymer–Metal Complexes:
The Role of Metal Ions on the Helicity
and the Supramolecular Architecture
of Poly(phenylacetylene)s
Felix Freire, Jose ´ Manuel Seco, Emilio Quin ˜ oa ´, and Ricardo Riguera
Abstract New helical poly(phenylacetylene)s have been successfully designed
and synthesised and their properties checked. The new polymers behave as sensors
of metal cation valences and/or the polar and donor character of solvents. In the
presence of metal salts, poly(phenylacetylene)s form helical polymer–metal complexes (HPMCs) that, in the case of α-methoxyphenylacetic acid (MPA)-containing
poly(phenylacetylene), has led to a new family of nanospheres made by complexation between the polymer and divalent metal ions. These HPMC nanostructures
present properties such as: (1) their diameter can be tuned to different sizes, (2) the
helicity of the polymeric material can be tuned to either of the two helical senses,
and (3) they can encapsulate a number of inorganic and organic substances. These
polymers also display phenomena such as helical inversion, chiral amplification
and axial chirality selection, making them versatile materials.
Keywords Chiral amplification • Helical inversion • Helical polymer-metal
complexes • Metal cations • Methoxyphenylacetic acid • Nanospheres •
Poly(phenylacetylene)s
Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
2 Reversible Helical Inversion by Metal Ion Complexation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
3 Selection of the Helical Sense by Metal Ion Complexation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
4 Chiral Amplification by Metal Ion Complexation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
F. Freire, J.M. Seco, E. Quin ˜oa ´, and R. Riguera (*)
Department of Organic Chemistry, Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular
Materials (CIQUS), University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela,
Spain
e-mail: ricardo.riguera@usc.es
DOI: 10.1007/12_2013_260
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
Published online: 6 November 2013
Helical Polymer–Metal Complexes:
The Role of Metal Ions on the Helicity
and the Supramolecular Architecture
of Poly(phenylacetylene)s
Felix Freire, Jose ´ Manuel Seco, Emilio Quin ˜ oa ´, and Ricardo Riguera
Abstract New helical poly(phenylacetylene)s have been successfully designed
and synthesised and their properties checked. The new polymers behave as sensors
of metal cation valences and/or the polar and donor character of solvents. In the
presence of metal salts, poly(phenylacetylene)s form helical polymer–metal complexes (HPMCs) that, in the case of α-methoxyphenylacetic acid (MPA)-containing
poly(phenylacetylene), has led to a new family of nanospheres made by complexation between the polymer and divalent metal ions. These HPMC nanostructures
present properties such as: (1) their diameter can be tuned to different sizes, (2) the
helicity of the polymeric material can be tuned to either of the two helical senses,
and (3) they can encapsulate a number of inorganic and organic substances. These
polymers also display phenomena such as helical inversion, chiral amplification
and axial chirality selection, making them versatile materials.
Keywords Chiral amplification • Helical inversion • Helical polymer-metal
complexes • Metal cations • Methoxyphenylacetic acid • Nanospheres •
Poly(phenylacetylene)s
Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
2 Reversible Helical Inversion by Metal Ion Complexation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
3 Selection of the Helical Sense by Metal Ion Complexation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
4 Chiral Amplification by Metal Ion Complexation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
F. Freire, J.M. Seco, E. Quin ˜oa ´, and R. Riguera (*)
Department of Organic Chemistry, Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular
Materials (CIQUS), University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela,
Spain
e-mail: ricardo.riguera@usc.es