Two helices from one chiral centre – self organization of disc shaped chiral nanoparticles

Mehl, Georg H.; Yu, Huanan; Qu, Wentao; Liu, Feng

Abstract

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been prepared and surfacefunctionalized
with a mixture of 1-hexanethiol co-ligands and chiral
discogen ligands separated from a disulfide function via a flexible
spacer. Polarized optical microscopy together with differential
scanning calorimetry showed that the organic corona of the
nanocomposite forms a stable chiral discotic nematic (ND*) phase
with a wide thermal range. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction showed
that gold NPs form a superlattice with p2 plane symmetry. Analysis
indicated that the corona takes up the shape of a flexible
macrodisk. Synchrotron radiation-based circular dichroism signals
of thin films are significantly enhanced on the isotropic-LC
transition in line with the formation of a chiral nematic phase of the
organic corona. At lower temperatures the appearance of CD
signals associated with the NPs is indicative of the formation of a
second helical structure. The decreased volume required and the
chiral environment of the disc ligands drives the nanoparticles into
columns that arrange helically parallel to the shortest axis of the
two dimensional lattice.

Citation

Mehl, G. H., Yu, H., Qu, W., & Liu, F. (2020). Two helices from one chiral centre – self organization of disc shaped chiral nanoparticles. Chemical science, 12(5), 1778-1782. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0sc05100d

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 30, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Dec 8, 2020
• Publication Date: Dec 8, 2020
• Deposit Date: Dec 8, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 27, 2022
• Journal: Chemical Science
• Print ISSN: 2041-6520
• Electronic ISSN: 2041-6539
• Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 1778-1782
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/d0sc05100d
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3672966
• Publisher URL: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2021/SC/D0SC05100D#!divAbstract