Abstract
SPONTANEOUS self-organization of helical and multiple-helical molecular structures occurs on several levels in living organisms. Key examples are α-helical polypeptides, double-helical nucleic acids and helical protein structures, including F-actin, microtubules and the protein sheath of the tobacco mosaic virus1. Although the self-assembly of double-helical transition-metal complexes1–15 bears some resemblance to the molecular organization of double-stranded DNA, selection between monohelical, double-helical and triple-helical structures is determined largely by the size and geometrical preference of the tightly bound metal14. Here we present an example of double-helical assembly induced by the weaker and non-directional interactions of an alkali-metal ion with an organic ligand that is pre-organized into a coil. We have characterized the resulting complex by two-dimensional NMR and fast-atom-bombardment mass spectrometry. These results provide a step toward the creation of molecular tubes or ion channels consisting of intertwined coils.
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Bell, T., Jousselin, H. Self-assembly of a double-helical complex of sodium. Nature 367, 441–444 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1038/367441a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/367441a0
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