Metadynamics Simulations on the Key Factors of Handedness Induction for
the N/C-Terminal Substituted Quinoline Oligoamide Foldamers
Abstract
Metadynamics simulation has been used to describe the conformational
energy landscapes of several helical quinoline oligoamides bearing
β-pinene-derived pyridine at either the C or N terminus. Based on the
experimental results, helix-sense preference for four types of foldamers
with the chiral terminal group has been verified. To compare to the key
factors of inducing handedness to helical-sense preference, a terminal
group with three hydrogen bond sites is designed and corresponding
foldamers are built. The calculated results show the delocalization
effect and steric hindrance mainly responsible for a particular
helix-sense preference for the investigated foldamers. The more hydrogen
bonds between the terminal group and oligoamide units are formed, the
more stable foldamers are.