Spatial Control of Chiral Self-Assembly and Lithographic Applications in Liquid Crystal Polymer Network

Precise spatial organization of enantiomeric domains within self-assembled materials remains a challenge despite advances in controlling supramolecular chirality. Here, it is presented a facile strategy for directing supramolecular chirality through spontaneous twist self-assembly in liquid crystal (LC) materials, generating periodic zigzag line defects that define alternating enantiomeric domains. An LC polymer network stabilizes zigzag line defects, preserving their spatial organization and mechanical integrity. Focused circular dichroism spectroscopy and computational simulations confirm the controlled enantiomeric distribution. It explores interfacial chiral interactions and shows how boundary regions between enantiomeric domains can manipulate microparticle position. Additionally, it is shown that kink density and orientation of the zigzag structure can be modulated by adjusting sample thickness, applied voltage, and electrode configurations, resulting in tunable periodicity and macroscopic direction. The findings provide a robust approach for fabricating chiral domains through soft-material-based self-assembly.