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Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
Published on: May 15, 2017
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Concentration-dependent structure and structural transition from chirality to nonchirality at the liquid-solid
Li Xu1, Xinrui Miao, Lihua Cui
1College of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China. msxrmiao@scut.edu.cn wldeng@scut.edu.cn.
Nanoscale
|June 24, 2015
Summary
Solvent concentration controls chiral self-assembly. Aliphatic solvents coassemble with 2-hydroxy-7-pentadecyloxy-9-fluorenone (HPF) molecules, forming diverse chiral patterns or nonchiral structures, offering a new strategy for 2D chiral monolayers.
Area of Science:
- Surface science
- Supramolecular chemistry
- Chirality studies
Background:
- Two-dimensional chirality in self-assembly is crucial for surface and interface studies.
- Controlling the formation and structural transitions of chiral self-assembled monolayers remains a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the solvent-induced chiral structural transition of 2-hydroxy-7-pentadecyloxy-9-fluorenone (HPF) molecules.
- To explore the role of achiral aliphatic solvents in coassembly and their concentration-dependent effects on chiral patterns.
- To demonstrate a novel strategy for constructing 2D chiral assembled monolayers.
Main Methods:
- Coassembly of HPF molecules with achiral aliphatic solvents at varying concentrations.
- Analysis of self-assembled adlayer structures using surface science techniques.
- Investigation of intermolecular interactions (van der Waals) and steric matching.
Main Results:
- Polymorphic chiral patterns were observed at low aliphatic solvent concentrations, dependent on solvent chain length.
- HPF molecules formed nonchiral multimers at high solvent concentrations.
- A thermodynamically stable zigzag structure was the ultimate configuration for all concentrations.
- Optimal steric matching with n-hexadecane led to the most diverse HPF configurations.
- Solvent molecules act as coadsorbed components influencing chiral self-assembly stability and probability.
Conclusions:
- Solvent concentration is a critical factor in directing the chiral self-assembly of HPF molecules.
- Van der Waals interactions between HPF and solvent molecules drive coassembly and influence structural outcomes.
- This study presents a simple and effective method for creating 2D chiral assembled monolayers by tuning solvent-molecule and solvent-substrate interactions.
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