A. A. Skoblin

Phenomenological description of the spontaneous formation of macroscopic strings in low-concentration chiral solutions and the formation of anisometric gels

36 Gel formation has recently been described in chiral solutions of low concentrations (10–3 to 10–2 M) [1], which are two orders of magnitude lower than the per colation threshold for the formation of an isotropic gel [2]. The forming gel has a well discernible microstruc ture [1]. Examination of the xerogel produced after solvent evaporation from the samples detected aniso metric (with a length to diameter ratio of 103–105) structural elements with observable rigidity—strings [1, 3, 4]. In this work, we identified the phenomena that lead to the solidification of low concentration chiral solu tions and studied the solidified phase by the example of solutions of trifluoroacetylated amino alcohols (TFAAA) (table). TFAAA molecules are chiral (except compound 4 in the table) and approximately isometric, which allows one to exclude the effect of nonchiral steric factors on solidification. The molecu lar design of TFAAA ensures the manifestation of the full range of weak intermolecular interactions in the formation of supramolecular structures. The solutions we used were cyclohexane, chloroform, carbon tetra chloride, benzene, ethanol, methanol, and acetone. The solution microstructure was investigated by optical microscopy. Solvent evaporation was pre vented because the samples of the studied solutions were placed in closed vessels. At a concentration on the order of 10–3 M and higher and a temperature of 300–340 K, a condensed phase separates out from homochiral TFAAA solu tions. On cooling a solution within a capillary 300 μm i.d., the phase separates out as an individual discrete anisometric structural element or elements—strings (Fig. 1). The string diameter (1–3 μm) is constant, and the string length reaches several millimeters. The strings form approximately along the capillary axis, definitely being repelled from the capillary walls and showing no signs of interacting with each other. Thus, the string formation in these experiments is a separate physical phenomenon unrelated to gel formation.

Macroscopic chirality of strings

The macroscopic chirality of strings in xerogel obtained from a solution of N-trifluoroacetyl-R(+)-valinol in cyclohexane was revealed by atomic force microscopy and circular dichroism. The characteristic plots on different scales are reported, namely, large-scale “chaos” (∼100 μm), string commutation (∼10 μm), and “fine” structure (∼1 μm).

Compaction of intermolecular bonds in the macroscopic chiral phase of strings

The microstructure of a cured state characteristic of a wide variety of low-concentration homochiral solutions in comparison with that of the condensed phase formed in achiral solutions is studied using optical and atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis.

Chirooptical effects in dilute solutions of gelators

The chirooptical properties of a number of compounds in a variety of achiral solvents are studied. The results are interpreted within the framework of the standard model of chiral molecules. It is demonstrated that, with increasing concentration, chiral aggregates emerge, up to the formation of a macrophase (strings), which radically changes the chirooptical characteristics of the solution.

Commensurability effects in chiral strings

The previously constructed continuum model of aninfinite straight string inevitably assumes the presenceof a quasionedimensional supramolecular lattice,which intuitively leads to physical and geometricalnotions of stereospecific fit, or complementarity, ofhomochiral molecules and their stacking [1, 2].At the same time, it has been experimentally (byoptical microscopy) demonstrated that, even in nonpolar solvents (heptane, cyclohexane, benzene), thestrings of the same trifluoroacetylated amino alcohol(TFAAA) have essentially different morphology [1, 2].To explain this difference in string structure, the crucial question is whether the molecules constituting thestrings are commensurate, namely, whether the compact complementarybound supramolecular lattice ofstrings involves achiral solvent molecules. The notionof commensurability implies a continuous change inphysical properties and, thus, invariance of the majorgeometric pattern of the molecular lattice or its continuum model when an extra molecule is incorporatedinto its finite volume [3]. In particular, for an infinitestring, the pattern is undoubtedly determined by itsgeometry.In more general form, the problem of commensurability in formation of a supramolecular lattice shouldalso be considered for the case of simultaneous incorporation of chiral TFAAA molecules of different typesinto the lattice.To solve this problem, in this work, we studied byXray diffraction xerogels of homochiral TFAAAs,synthesized as described in [1], in different solventsand xerogels of their equimolar homo and heterochiral mixtures, also prepared according to [1].

Structural dynamics of chiral strings

It is demonstrated that a microscopic model of an antiferroelectric elementary string makes it possible to explain the specifics of the structural macrokinetics and macroscopic dynamics of chiral strings. It is established that the formation of strings is controlled by diffusion, whereas the supercoiling of strings, by Van der Waals interactions between them. Three modes of strings formation were identified: the uniform growth of cylindrical strings, π-assembly of an inverted cone of thin strings, and π-decay. The π-assembly is accompanied by the rotation of the string about its axis, which can cause instability, leading first to a bending of the string and then to the formation of loops.

On the supramolecular mechanism of cell-cell commutation

Processes of cell commutation via anisometric supramolecular structures (strings) are considered in vitro and using physicochemical models of lipids and trifluoroacetylated amino alcohols. The biological effectiveness of commutation via strings is demonstrated to be higher compared to the diffusion mechanism of transfer of biologically active molecules over distances between objects typical of populations of microorganisms. A kinetic model of strings is developed, and the rate of signal transmission in such systems is estimated. It is shown that the condition of the chirality of lipids forming the biomembranes of cells follows from the experimentally observed cell commutation by means of supramolecular anisometric structures.

Experimental investigation of anisometric chiral phase xerogel

The microstructure of a cured state (xerogel) of homochiral and achiral compounds belonging to a series of trifluoro acetylated amino alcohols has been investigated. It is shown that the substance of the cured homochiral compound consists of anisometric structures with an observed rigidity (strings) which are crystalline monophase. The xerogel of an achiral compound is represented by isometric microstructures. It is suggested that intermolecular hydrogen bonds comprising the molecular strings are apparently packed within the phase.

Elementary supramolecular strings in solutions of chiral trifluoroacetylated amino alcohols

IR spectroscopy is applied to studying the effect of nonpolar and low-polar solvents on the molecular structure of solid-state quasi-one-dimensional strings formed through the chiral self-assembly from solutions of trifluoroacetylated homochiral amino alcohols (TFAAA). It is experimentally confirmed that in stable two-phase string/solvent gels and respective xerogels, solid-phase strings contain no solvent molecules as a structural element, experiencing, however, a weak disturbing influence of solvent molecules. It is shown that the process of spontaneous self-assembly of chiral strings in solutions is accompanied by the formation of a complex system of hydrogen bonds involving the C=O, N–H, and O–H functional groups of dissolved TFAAA molecules and by the displacement of solvent molecules to the periphery of the resulting quasi-one-dimensional strings. The results of the present work, together with data obtained by other experimental methods, indicate that TFAAA-based elementary strings have diameters of 1–2 nm, being crystalline, molecularly thin, quasi-one-dimensional objects. The amplitude of the thermally activated bending vibrations (transverse phonons) of elementary strings is sufficient to cause the entanglement of elementary strings, which leads to the formation of larger diameter supercoiled strings.

Interactions of helical structures as a molecular basis of intra- and intercellular interactions

Two types of formation of super spirals by spiral counter- and co-intertwining of spiral molecular strings were identified using chiral biomimetics. An earlier statement on the formation of hierarchies of super-spiral structures with an alternating chirality sign in molecular homochiral systems was experimentally proven. By developing the Euler model, estimates of forces and velocities in systems of interacting spiral structures that quantitatively correspond to the characteristic times and dimensions of intracellular and inter-cellular interactions were theoretically obtained. It was shown that the phase of structure formation in the cell is not limiting and the time of formation of intracellular structures is determined by the time that is necessary for the cell to choose a functional program.