A self-assembling polythiophene functionalised with a cysteine moiety

A new copolymer bearing a cysteine moiety, designed for molecular interaction, metal-ion-detection, and chiral recognition, was synthesized starting from the diborom derivative of methyl N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-S-thien-3-ylcysteinate and distannylthiophene through a Stille coupling reaction. UV-vis spectroscopy, circular dichroism, NMR spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography analyses evidenced that this polymer is able to form self-assembling structures, through the formation of a hydrogen-bond network, not only in the solid state but also in solution.