Water as a structural element in chiral supramolecular polymers

• Applicant: Professor Alex Plajer, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Preparatory and Physical Chemistry of Polymers ; Inorganic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 577546159

Water is the basis of all life and plays a crucial role in the formation of complex biological structures – from protein folding to cell membranes. It does not only act as a solvent, but often serves as a structural element itself, stabilizing assemblies through hydrogen bonds and even transmitting information. In synthetic chemistry, this special role of water has hardly been used so far: water is usually excluded rather than integrated. Our group has shown for the first time that water can actively participate in the formation of novel supramolecular polymers, where it is essential for the emergence of chiral structures. The project aims to systematically explore this principle. We will design tailored molecules that assemble into long, fiber-like structures in water, with water molecules directly shaping their form and chirality. This allows us to uncover how water acts as a structural partner and translates molecular properties into larger-scale order. A key focus is to understand how water controls the generation and amplification of chirality – a fundamental process also found in nature. In this way, the project will provide new insights into how order and function arise in soft materials through the interplay of molecules and water. In the long term, these findings open up perspectives for developing water-based functional materials – for example as sensitive sensors for biological molecules or as models for sustainable polymers. Thus, the project contributes both to advancing fundamental understanding of water’s role in chemistry and to inspiring new concepts in materials science.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: United Kingdom
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Kai Ludwig
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Hesam Makki