Solution-Phase Structure of an Artificial Foldamer: X-ray Scattering Study

摘要

Foldamers are synthetic oligomers that adopt ordered conformations in solution due to noncovalent interactions. They often possess unique functionality resulting from their folded structures, similar to biological macromolecules. Foldamers also provide important insights into the fundamentals of noncovalent folding, which is of primary importance for understanding biological systems and developing novel self-assembling materials. The structure of artificial foldamers in solution has been studied using a variety of indirect spectroscopic techniques and theoretical methods. X-ray scattering using a high flux synchrotron source has been recently shown to provide a powerful means of studying small organic and biological arrays that are formed due to noncovalent self-assembly in solution. Therefore, this methodology appears particularly suitable for artificial foldamers. To the best of our knowledge X-ray scattering has not been applied to structural studies of artificial foldamers in solution. Herein we present small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) studies on m-phenylene ethynylene oligomer (mPE) 1 in acetonitrile, providing for the first time direct structural data on a mPE foldamer in solution.