Induction of Supramolecular Helical Handedness in a Chemical Reaction Directed Self-Healable Soft Material

Abstract

Thixotropic and self-healable supramolecular gel with nanohelical morphological features of discotic C3 symmetric benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid coupled with (L)- and (D)-phenylalanine were achieved by hydroxyl anion catalysed methyl ester hydrolysis in presence of lithium ions. The hydrolysis of methyl ester and subsequent formation of gel are highly dependent on metal ions. The arrangement of the molecular building blocks and increasing the structural complexity during the origin of the supramolecular structures from the monomeric units by a chemical reaction act as the executive parameters to determine the handedness of macroscopic chirality. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim