Heterometal arrays in molecular aggregations were obtained by the spontaneous and ultrasound-induced gelation of organic liquids containing the chiral, clothespin-shaped trans-bis(salicylaldiminato) d8 transition-metal complexes 1. Heterometallic mixtures of complexes 1 a (Pd) and 1 b (Pt) underwent strict heterochiral aggregation entirely due to the organic shell structure of the clothespin shape, with no effect of the metal cores. This phenomenon provides an unprecedented means of generating highly controlled heterometallic arrangements such as alternating sequences [(+)-Pd(-)-Pt(+)-Pd(-)-Pt⋅⋅⋅] as well as a variety of single metal-enriched arrays (e.g., [(+)-Pt(-)-Pd(+)-Pd(-)-Pd(+)-Pd(-)-Pd⋅⋅⋅] and [(+)-Pd(-)-Pt(+)-Pt(-)-Pt(+)-Pt(-)-Pt⋅⋅⋅]) upon the introduction of an optically active masquerading unit with a different metal core in the heterochiral single-metal sequence. The present method can be applied to form various new aggregates with optically active Pd and Pt units, to allow 1) tuning of the gelation ultrasound sensitivity based on the different hearing abilities of the metal units; 2) aggregation-induced chirality transfer between heterometallic species; and 3) aggregation-induced chirality enhancement. A mechanistic rationale is proposed for these molecular aggregations based on the molecular structures of the units and the morphologies of the aggregates.

The supramolecular chirality of aggregates consisting of achiral trans-bis(salicylaldiminato)Ni complex 1 bearing long alkyl chains can be generated and controlled precisely in a chiral nematic liquid-crystalline (LC) solvent, whereas the complex naturally forms achiral gel fibers in achiral nematic LC solvents and crystals in nonmesogenic solvents. The direction and intensity of the helicity of the gel fibers of 1 in the LC gel state can be adjusted by means of the nature of the helical twisting and the concentration of the chiral dopants. Helicity control was precisely detected in the circular dichroism (CD) spectra of LC gels and by direct SEM observation of the dried gel fibers. XRD analysis revealed that the flexibility of the herringbone-based lamellar alignment of this complex is the key to the LC-specific gelation and helicity control of the gel fibers.

The supramolecular chirality of aggregates consisting of an achiral NiII complex can be generated and controlled precisely in chiral nematic liquid crystalline (LC) solvent, while the complex naturally forms achiral gel fibers in achiral nematic LC solvents and crystals in non‐mesogenic solvents. Direction and intensity in the helicity of the gel fibers in the LC gel state can be adjusted according to the helical twisting nature and concentration of the chiral dopants. More information can be found in the Full Paper by Y. Uchida, T. Naota, et al. on page 12546.