Template-imprinted chiral porphyrin aggregates

Chiral ternary complexes of the protonated form of tetra-anionic meso-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphine apparently have a 'life' independent from the template but retain 'memory' of the shape of the mold used for their formation. This was gleaned from spectroscopic data derived from a study of these aggregates in water solution, on a preformed complex between alpha-helical polyglutamate and the copper(II) derivative of the tetracationic meso-tetrakis(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl)porphine. These species seem to memorize and retain the chiral information imprinted by the template, despite the 'disruption' by pH-induced conformational transitions of the matrix chirality.