Supramolecular autoregulation.

Enzyme activity in biological systems is often governed by control mechanisms in which the catalytic properties are made sensitive or insensitive to differences in enzyme or substrate concentration. Here, we report the first supramolecular system where the catalytic activity is made concentration independent through the use of newly designed inhibitor molecules. The precise concentration dependence of coupled supramolecular equilibriums between free catalyst, inhibited catalyst, active inhibitor, and inactive inhibitor allows to keep the concentration of free catalyst at 1 mM in a broad concentration range, yielding an autoregulated catalytic system.

Self-assembly studies of a chiral bisurea-based superhydrogelator.

A chiral bisurea-based superhydrogelator that is capable of forming supramolecular hydrogels at concentrations as low as 0.2 mM is reported. This soft material has been characterized by thermal studies, rheology, X-ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and by various spectroscopic techniques (electronic and vibrational circular dichroism and by FTIR and Raman spectroscopy). The expression of chirality on the molecular and supramolecular levels has been studied and a clear amplification of its chirality into the achiral analogue has been observed. Furthermore, thermal analysis showed that the hydrogelation of compound 1 has a high response to temperature, which corresponds to an enthalpy-driven self-assembly process. These particular thermal characteristics make these materials easy to handle for soft-application technologies.

pH-Tunable hydrogelators for water purification: structural optimisation and evaluation.

A focused library of potential hydrogelators each containing two substituted aromatic residues separated by a urea or thiourea linkage have been synthesised and characterized. Six of these novel compounds are highly efficient hydrogelators, forming gels in aqueous solution at low concentrations (0.03-0.60 wt%). Gels were formed through a pH switching methodology, by acidification of a basic solution (pH 14 to ≈ 4) either by addition of HCl or via the slow hydrolysis of glucono-δ-lactone. Frequently, gelation was accompanied by a dramatic switch in the absorption spectra of the gelators, resulting in a significant change in colour, typically from a vibrant orange to pale yellow. Each of the gels was capable of sequestering significant quantities of the aromatic cationic dye, methylene blue, from aqueous solution (up to 1.02 g of dye per gram of dry gelator). Cryo-transmission electron microscopy of two of the gels revealed an extensive network of high aspect ratio fibers. The structure of the fibers altered dramatically upon addition of 20 wt% of the dye, resulting in aggregation and significant shortening of the fibrils. This study demonstrates the feasibility for these novel gels finding application as inexpensive and effective water purification platforms.

Supramolecular catalysis with extended aggregates and gels: inversion of stereoselectivity caused by self-assembly.

L-Proline-L-valine dipeptide derivatives, which self-assemble in toluene, have been studied as stereoselective catalysts in the conjugate addition of cyclohexanone to trans-beta-nitrostyrene. Remarkable effects on the stereoselectivity are observed associated to the aggregation of the catalyst. Outstanding differences were observed between the catalytic activity of compound 1, which forms supramolecular gels in toluene, and compound 2, which is not a gelator. In the former case, the enantioselectivity of the reaction was almost insensitive to changes in catalyst concentration and temperature, but in the case of compound 2, the catalytic activity was very much affected by those variables. Structural studies indicate that the results can be rationalized by taking into account significant conformational changes experienced by the catalytic L-proline derivatives associated with the aggregation process. The results highlight that catalyst self-assembly is a very important issue to consider in the stereoselective outcome of organocatalytic reactions. Especially relevant is the fact that the use of supramolecular gels as organocatalysts emerges as a technique that affords reliable and constant stereoselectivity in different conditions with the added value of easy catalyst recovery.

New Waterborne Polyurethane-Urea Synthesized with Ether-Carbonate Copolymer and Amino-Alcohol Chain Extenders with Tailored Pressure-Sensitive Adhesion Properties.

New waterborne polyurethane-urea dispersions with adequate adhesion and cohesion properties have been synthesized by reacting isophorone diisocyanate, copolymer of ether and carbonate diol polyol and three amino-alcohols with different number of OH groups chain extenders using the prepolymer method. The waterborne polyurethane-urea dispersions were characterized by pH, particle-size distribution, and viscosity, and the polyurethane-urea films were characterized by attenuated total reflectance infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and plate-plate rheology (temperature and frequency sweeps). Polyurethane-urea pressure-sensitive adhesives (PUU PSAs) were prepared by placing the waterborne polyurethane dispersions on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films and they were characterized at 25 °C by creep test, tack and 180° peel test. The waterborne polyurethane-urea dispersions showed mean particle sizes between 51 and 78 nm and viscosities in the range of 58-133 mPa·s. The polyurethane-urea films showed glass transition temperatures (Tgs) lower than -64 °C, and they showed a cross of the storage and loss moduli between -8 and 68 °C depending on the number of OH groups in the amino-alcohol chain extender. Different types of PUU PSAs (removable, high shear) were obtained by changing the number of OH groups in the amino-alcohol chain extender. The tack at 25 °C of the PUU PSAs varied between 488 and 1807 kPa and the 180° peel strength values ranged between 0.4 and 6.4 N/cm, and their holding times were between 2 min and 5 days. The new PUU PSAs made with amino-alcohol chain extender seemed very promising for designing environmentally friendly waterborne PSAs with high tack and improved cohesion and adhesion property.

Switchable performance of an L-proline-derived basic catalyst controlled by supramolecular gelation.

An L-proline-derived low molecular weight gelator forms gels in nitromethane and nitroethane and acts as a basic catalyst for the Henry nitroaldol reaction of these solvents with 4-nitrobenzaldehyde and 4-chlorobenzaldehyde. The reported catalyst is efficient only upon aggregation into self-assembled fibrillar networks. The formation of the gels is associated to a basicity boost of the L-proline residues. Gel dissociation blocks the catalytic efficiency for the nitroaldol reaction but enhances a reaction pathway leading to alkenes. Because of the reversible nature of supramolecular gels, subtle temperature changes allow for a reversible sol-gel transition associated to an activation of the catalyst. The catalytic gel from nitroethane is significantly more active than the one from nitromethane probably because of its different structure as revealed by X-ray diffraction and thermal stability studies. The results shown indicate that in solution the L-proline moiety catalyzes the reaction of nitroalkanes with aldehydes via iminium intermediates while efficient nitroaldol reactions are promoted in the gel phase through an ionic pair type mechanism. The fact that upon aggregation the amino acid-based molecule used as gelator plays both a structural (gel formation) and catalytic role is interesting for the point of view of life origin studies.

Supramolecular gel formation and self-correction induced by aggregation-driven conformational changes.

The formation of self-assembled fibrillar networks by low molecular weight peptidomimetics containing a Pro-Val moiety is reported; insight into the aggregation mechanism is provided revealing that it is associated to an unfolding process and that a fibrillar network formed under kinetic control can self-correct into a thermodynamically stable one.

Aldehyde responsive supramolecular hydrogels: towards biomarker-specific delivery systems.

A reactive supramolecular hydrogel sensitive to the presence of aldehydes is reported. Its fast disassembly in the presence of hydrophobic aldehydes allows the use for the release of substances (i.e. drugs) entrapped within the gel network.

Sodium and pH responsive hydrogel formation by the supramolecular system calix[4]pyrrole derivative/tetramethylammonium cation.

We report and rationalize the formation of gels, responsive to sodium cations or pH changes, in aqueous media by a supramolecular system constituted of an aryl extended calix[4]pyrrole receptor and the tetramethylammonium guest.

Influence of end-capping on the self-assembly of model amyloid peptide fragments.

The influence of charge and aromatic stacking interactions on the self-assembly of a series of four model amyloid peptides has been examined. The four model peptides are based on the KLVFF motif from the amyloid ß peptide, Aß(16-20) extended at the N terminus with two ß-alanine residues. We have studied NH(2)-ßAßAKLVFF-COOH (FF), NH(2)-ßAßAKLVF-COOH (F), CH(3)CONH-ßAßAKLVFF-CONH(2) (CapF), and CH(3)CONH-ßAßAKLVFF-CONH(2) (CapFF). The former two are uncapped (net charge +2) and differ by one hydrophobic phenylalanine residue; the latter two are the analogous capped peptides (net charge +1). The self-assembly characteristics of these peptides are remarkably different and strongly dependent on concentration. NMR shows a shift from carboxylate to carboxylic acid forms upon increasing concentration. Saturation transfer measurements of solvent molecules indicate selective involvement of phenylalanine residues in driving the self-assembly process of CapFF due presumably to the effect of aromatic stacking interactions. FTIR spectroscopy reveals ß-sheet features for the two peptides containing two phenylalanine residues but not the single phenylalanine residue, pointing again to the driving force for self-assembly. Circular dichroism (CD) in dilute solution reveals the polyproline II conformation, except for F which is disordered. We discuss the relationship of this observation to the significant pH shift observed for this peptide when compared the calculated value. Atomic force microscopy and cryogenic-TEM reveals the formation of twisted fibrils for CapFF, as previously also observed for FF. The influence of salt on the self-assembly of the model ß-sheet forming capped peptide CapFF was investigated by FTIR. Cryo-TEM reveals that the extent of twisting decreases with increased salt concentration, leading to the formation of flat ribbon structures. These results highlight the important role of aggregation-induced pK(a) shifts in the self-assembly of model ß-sheet peptides.

Selective and highly efficient dye scavenging by a pH-responsive molecular hydrogelator.

A structurally simple low molecular weight hydrogelator derived from isophthalic acid forms robust pH-responsive hydrogels capable of highly efficient and selective dye adsorption.

A supramolecular hydrogel as a reusable heterogeneous catalyst for the direct aldol reaction.

An L-proline based supramolecular hydrogel is used as an efficient heterogeneous organocatalyst for the direct aldol reaction with high stereoselectivity (up to 90% ee) and recyclability (up to 3 runs). The reversible nature of this self-assembled supramolecular system allows for easy recovery and regeneration of the catalyst.