Control the handedness of the mesoporous silica nanoribbons and the pore channels using anionic gelators

Single-handed helical mesoporous silicas with chiral pore channels attracted much attention, due to their potential applications for enantioseparation and asymmetric catalysis. Although they can be prepared using the self-assemblies of chiral cationic gelators as the templates, they are hard to be prepared using those of anionic gelators as templates. Herein, a pair of chiral anionic enantiomers derived from trans-1,2-diamiocyclohexanes were synthesized. The field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images indicated that the enantiomers could self-assemble into helical nanoribbons in pure water. The handedness of the mesoporous silicas were controlled using these enantiomers and 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane as a co-structure directing agent through a sol–gel transcription approach. The FE-SEM and transmission electron microscopy images indicated that the obtained silicas were helical mesoporous nanoribbons with chiral pore channels.

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► Helical mesoporous 1,2-ethylene-silica nanoribbons with chiral pore channels were prepared.
► Handedness of the nanoribbons was controlled by changing the chirality of the gelators.
► Chiral pore channels are parallel and twist along the long axis of the nanoribbon.