Described is the design, synthesis, and characterization of abiotic, single-stranded metallofoldamers that adopt helical secondary structures upon metal complexation. The absolute helicity is determined by stereocenters at the ends of the structures and is enforced by the steric influence and hydrogen bonding ability of esters in the backbone of the foldamer. Folding of the structures is characterized in the solid state by X-ray crystallography and in solution by specific rotation, CD spectroscopy, and NMR spectroscopy.