Preparation and application of abietic acid-derived optically active helical polymers and their chiral hydrogels

► Chiral helical (co)polymers were synthesized from abietic acid. ► Chiral hydrogels were prepared from the chiral helical copolymer. ► The hydrogels demonstrated enantioselective recognition towards l-alanine. ► This study opens new uses of abietic acid.