Porphyrin-Based Supramolecular Flags in the Thermal Gradients' Wind: What Breaks the Symmetry, How and Why.

ABSTRACT: The Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking (SSB) phenomenon is a natural event in which a system changes its symmetric state, apparently reasonless, in an asymmetrical one. Nevertheless, this occurrence could be hiding unknown inductive forces. An intriguing investigation pathway uses supramolecular aggregates of suitable achiral porphyrins, useful to mimic the natural light-harvesting systems (as chlorophyll). Using as SSB probe supramolecular aggregates of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[p(ω-methoxypolyethyleneoxy)phenyl]porphyrin (StarP), a non-ionic achiral PEGylated porphyrin, we explore here its interaction with weak asymmetric thermal gradients fields. The cross-correlation of the experimental data (circular dichroism, confocal microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and cryo-transmission electron microsco

SUBMITTER: Nicosia A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8305271 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature