π–hole forces enabled programmable supramolecular chirality based on a chiral benzimidazole pincer
Abstract
Employing noncovalent forces to fabricate self-assembled nanoarchitectures composed of multiple constituents regulates the expression of chirality across hierarchical levels. Here we report a programmed hierarchical chiral assembly through π-hole interactions synchronized with hydrogen bonding. A chiral molecular pincer composed of benzimidazole and cholesteryl moieties capable of forming complementary hydrogen bonds with carboxylic acids, coassembles with achiral organic acids to generate one-dimensional helical superstructures, enhancing the expression of supramolecular chirality and chiroptical activities. The multicomponent coassembly system accommodates structurally diverse acids-including aliphatic, aromatic, and polymeric acids-exhibiting pronounced substrate-dependent induction of supramolecular chirality. Further incorporating fluorinated or chlorinated components introduced π-hole forces that realize modulation of the macroscopic chirality, affording well-defined chiral microarchitectures with tunable topology and chirality. The resulting materials display complex yet highly ordered chiral nanostructures, with the potential for anisotropic growth toward macroscopic scales. This study establishes a modular platform for the high-throughput fabrication of chiroptical materials with tunable supramolecular chirality, offering insights into the rational design of functional soft materials through π-hole interaction driven hierarchical self-assembly.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Supramolecular Self-Assembly in Materials
Supramolecular Chemistry and Complexes
Crystallography and molecular interactions
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Chemical Science
- Publisher
- Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 4332–4342
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026
- Language
- EN