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Updated: May 11, 2026

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Published on: June 10, 2021
Chiral J-aggregates formed by achiral cyanine dyes
S Kirstein1, H von Berlepsch, C Böttcher
1Max-Planck-Institute for Colloids and Interfaces, Am Mühlenberg 2, 14476 Golm/Potsdam, Germany. kirstein@physik.hu-berlin.de
Abstract:
The self-assembly of helical supramolecular structures from chiral building units is a basic principle of biological materials. The mesoscopic structure of a chiral molecular aggregate, which formed spontaneously from a nonchiral J-aggregating cyanine dye in aqueous solution, is presented. In single crystals (as shown in the picture) a coexistance of planar molecules with left- and right-handed twisted conformers of the same dye are found; the latter may act as templates to build up the helical superstructures.
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