Large Scale Chirality Transduction with Functional Molecular Materials

Transduction of chiral information can be achieved at different length scales. Among all possible approaches, in this work, we propose a straightforward concept to transfer chiral features from the molecular level to the shape of macroscopic objects by combining the concepts of inherently chiral oligomers and bipolar electrochemistry. Hybrid freestanding lamellar films, composed of polypyrrole and the two oligomeric antipodes of a chiral monomer, are exposed in solution to a chiral target molecule (i.e., l- and d-DOPA) in the presence of an electric field. This leads to an electrochemically induced deformation of the film, which in fine results in one or the other of two macroscopic enantiomorphs, depending on which stereoisomer is present in the solution.