Computational Design Rules for Helical Aromatic Foldamers: $\pi-\pi$ Stacking, Solvent Effects, and Conformational Stability

TL;DR

This paper presents a quantum-chemical methodology to design and evaluate helical aromatic foldamers, focusing on solvent effects, stacking interactions, and stability, enabling rapid screening and improved compound design.

Contribution

It introduces a systematic approach combining quantum calculations and design principles to assess and enhance foldamer stability and mechanical properties.

Findings

Identified key design principles for foldamer stability.

Developed a screening methodology for new compounds.

Discovered a modified foldamer with superior stability.

Abstract

Molecular-scale materials with bistable behavior and tunable properties are increasingly relevant for next-generation nanoscale electronic devices. Helical foldamers are promising candidates, but their structural and mechanical properties are highly sensitive to conformational stability and environmental conditions. A systematic methodology based on quantum-chemical calculations is proposed for assessing solvent-dependent mechanical behavior, combining analysis of $\pi-\pi$ stacking interactions, conformational energetics, and environmental effects. Using this methodology we identified simple design principles for the rapid screening of new compounds, allowing evaluation of their conformational stability and effective mechanical rigidity. Applying these principles, we identify a modified helical aromatic foldamer that exhibits improved mechanical and stability characteristics compared to the initial reference compound.