Macromolecular helicity inversion of an optically active helical poly(phenylacetylene) by chemical modification of the side groups.

An optically active helical poly(phenylacetylene) was synthesized by the copolymerization of phenylacetylenes bearing optically active hydroxy or ester groups obtained by the kinetic resolution of a racemic phenylacetylene with lipase; the helix-sense was inverted from one helix to another by the further chemical modification of the hydroxy groups with achiral bulky isocyanates or an acid chloride.