Aggregation‐Induced Emissive and Circularly Polarized Homogeneous Sulfono‐γ‐AApeptide Foldamers

• DOI: 10.1002/adom.201902122
• Publication Date: 2020-04-20T14:28:26Z
• Authors: Yan Shi; Peng Sang; Guangqiang Yin; Ruixuan Gao; Xiao Liang; Robert Brzozowski; Timothy Odom; Prahathees Eswara; Youxuan Zheng; Xiaopeng Li; Jianfeng Cai
• Keywords: Tetraphenylethylene; Cationic polymerization; Helix (gastropod)

Abstract Through continuous efforts in developing a new class of foldamers, homogeneous sulfono‐γ‐AApeptides have been designed and synthesized using tetraphenylethylene (TPE) moieties attached to the backbone as luminogenic sidechains. Based on previous crystal structures, it is found that these foldamers adopted left‐handed 4 14 ‐helix. Due constraint helical scaffold, rotation TPE restricted, leading fluorescent emissive properties with high quantum yields not only at aggregate state but also solution. Investigation relationship between structure fluorescence behavior reveals emission induced by combined effect aggregation‐induced rotated restriction from backbone. Furthermore, packing mode luminogens can be precisely adjusted backbone, are circularly polarizable relatively large luminescence dissymmetry factor. Interestingly, possessing cationic amphipathic structures similar host‐defense peptides, able inhibit growth Gram‐positive bacteria, methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus through membrane interactions.