Modulating Supramolecular Chirality in Alanine Derived Assemblies by Multiple External Stimuli

Having control over the supramolecular chirality through multiexternal stimulators provides many possibilities in realizing functional chiral materials. Herein, the supramolecular chirality of nanotwists comprising PA centered with 1,4-phenyldicarboxamide bearing two L/D-helicogenic alanine motifs and achiral COOH at each terminus of the alanine arms is modulated by solvent, temperature, and ultrasound. The modulations are mainly due to the hydrogen bonds among gelators and solvent-gelator interactions, resulting in changes of the molecular arrangement and subsequent self-assembled nanostructures. Typically, the gel of PA in ethyl acetate prepared by ultrasonication method exhibits thixotropic property due to the participation of ethyl acetate in the self-assembly process, resulting in relatively flexible and tolerant networks. This study provides a simplistic way to control the handedness of chiral nanostructures and a rational design of the self-assembly system with multistimuli-responsive supramolecular chirality.