Artificial topological forms

Naturally occurring or artificially prepared supercoiled DNA molecules can often be separated by electrophoresis into about ten forms, each differing from the other by one supercoiled turn and by ALA = 1 (Fig. 5-20). The relative amounts of these topological isomers form an approximately Gaussian distribution. The isomers apparently arise as a result of thermal fluctuations in the degree of supercoiling at the time that the circles were enzymatically closed.202... 

Although the field of double helical foldamers is yet to be fully explored, we believe that the creation of novel structures with unique and advanced functions such as circularly polarized luminescence and artificial transmembrane ion channels may stem from the double helical topology. As a result, the combinations of multiple chemical components present in the intertwined helices that form when two oligomers are instructed to self-assemble together provides a coherent platform on which supramolecular chemists will stand and lead an orchestra of secondary interactions. 

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