Citation: Zhimin Sun, Shuo Guo, Jia-Qi Zhao, Ze-Qi Chen, Zhao-Xian Li, Chunju Li, He-Lue Sun. Switchable supramolecular chirality of phenylalanine-modified viologen within cucurbit[8]uril confinement[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(7): 111823. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111823 shu

Switchable supramolecular chirality of phenylalanine-modified viologen within cucurbit[8]uril confinement

Zhimin Sun ^{a, 1} ,
Shuo Guo ^{a, 1} ,
Jia-Qi Zhao ^a ,
Ze-Qi Chen ^a ,
Zhao-Xian Li ^{b, *,} ,
Chunju Li ^b ,
He-Lue Sun ^{a, *,}

a.
College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Hebei Key Laboratory of Organic Functional Molecules, Hebei Engineering Research Center of Thin Film Solar Cell Materials and Devices, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, China
b.
Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies on Intelligent Molecules, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Structure and Performance for Functional Molecules, College of Chemistry, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China

lizhaoxian2023@163.com

heluesun@hebtu.edu.cn

Received Date: 18 June 2025
Revised Date: 31 August 2025
Accepted Date: 10 September 2025
Available Online: 10 September 2025

Figures(5)

Switchable chirality in confined environments is central to biological regulation, yet artificial systems enabling reversible chirality control remain challenging. Herein, we report a redox-responsive supramolecular chirality system constructed from phenylalanine-modified viologen (d/l-PheVio⋅2Br) and cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) in aqueous solution. The formation of 1:1 host-guest complex triggers pronounced chirality amplification, evident from characteristic induced circular dichroism (ICD) signals. Upon chemical reduction, these ICD signals vanish abruptly, replaced by unusual CD signals from viologen radical cations, demonstrating chirality transfer enabled by the confined environment. The redox-switchable process exhibits exceptional reversibility and repeatability over multiple cycles. These findings deepen our understanding of supramolecular chirality arising from host-guest complexation in confined spaces at the molecular level, offering new perspectives for designing stimuli-responsive chiral materials.
- Switchable chirality,
- Supramolecular chirality,
- Cucurbit[8]uril confinement,
- Chirality amplification,
- Redox-responsive materials
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