Recognition of the Helical Sense of Polypeptides by a Chiral Metalloporphyrin Receptor

The secondary structure is of primary importance! The D and L forms of α-helical poly(glutamic acid) (PGA) are complexed selectively by the (R) and (S) isomers, respectively, of the porphyrin-based, chiral receptor 1, which has a xylylenediamide strap. Helical polypeptides can thus be separated by complexation with enantiomerically pure 1.