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Updated: Jun 19, 2025
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Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives
Published on: February 7, 2017
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Macroscopic homochiral helicoids self-assembled via screw dislocations
Shengfu Wu1,2, Xin Song1, Cong Du1
1Beijing National Laboratory of Molecular Sciences (BNLMS) and CAS Key Laboratory of Colloid, Interface and Thermodynamics, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, North First Street 2, Zhongguancun, Beijing, 100190, China.
Nature Communications
|July 23, 2024
Summary
Researchers created macroscopic homochiral helicoids from molecular triangles and pyrene using screw dislocation-driven co-self-assembly. This demonstrates continuous chiral transfer from molecular to macroscopic scales, yielding unique optical properties.
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Organic Chemistry
Background:
- Chirality is a fundamental property observed across various scales in nature.
- Transmitting chirality across different length scales and forming homochiral structures remains a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the formation of macroscopic homochiral helicoids from molecular components.
- To investigate the continuous transfer and expression of chirality from molecular to macroscopic levels.
Main Methods:
- Co-self-assembly of enantiomeric pyromellitic diimide-based molecular triangles (PMDI-Δ) and achiral pyrene.
- Utilizing a screw dislocation-driven mechanism for structure formation.
- Characterization of the resulting macroscopic helicoids and their optical properties.
Main Results:
- Formation of macroscopic homochiral helicoids with dimensions in the ten-micrometer range.
- Demonstration of continuous chiral transfer from molecular (PMDI-Δ) to supramolecular and macroscopic scales.
- Observation of unidirectional curvature in helicoids due to screw dislocations and chiral transfer.
- Exhibition of excellent circularly polarized luminescence with large |glum| values up to 0.05.
Conclusions:
- Successful formation of macroscopic, homochiral organic helicoids.
- Screw dislocations facilitate the emergence of function (chirality expression and luminescence) from small molecules.
- Deepened understanding of chiral transfer mechanisms across hierarchical length scales.
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