Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 19, 2026

Ultrahigh Density Array of Vertically Aligned Small-molecular Organic Nanowires on Arbitrary Substrates
Published on: June 18, 2013
Nanoscale Helical Heterojunctions From a π-Conjugated Emitter With Two Heterochiral Centers
Xujin Qin1,2, Zhen Zhang1,2, Jianlei Han3
1Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Abstract:
Chirality transfer from molecules to supramolecular architectures underpins diverse biological and material functions, yet constructing helical heterojunctions remains a formidable challenge. Here, we report the discovery of nanoscale helical junctions directed by a molecular chiral junction derived from a meso-form lipid emitter with two heterochiral centers. Unlike enantiopure molecules, which assemble into uniform homochiral fibers, the meso-form molecule self-assembles into planar belts in pure DMSO and striking helical heterojunctions with opposite-handed portions in DMSO/H2O 9:1 (v/v). Spectroscopic and structural analyses reveal that solvent polarity and stereochemical configuration govern distinct packing modes and hierarchical chirality amplification. This unprecedented molecular-to-supramolecular transformation provides a new paradigm for chirality engineering, offering mechanistic insights into chiral self-assembly and opening opportunities for advanced chiroptical materials.
More Related Videos
09:35Preparation of a Corannulene-functionalized Hexahelicene by CopperI-catalyzed Alkyne-azide Cycloaddition of Nonplanar Polyaromatic Units
Published on: September 18, 2016
13:29Harvesting Solar Energy by Means of Charge-Separating Nanocrystals and Their Solids
Published on: August 23, 2012
Related Concept Videos
Molecules with Multiple Chiral Centers
Chirality at Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur
A consequence of chirality is the need for enantiomeric resolution. While this is theoretically possible for all...
¹H NMR: Long-Range Coupling
In alkenes, spin information is communicated via σ–π overlap, as seen in allylic (four-bond) and homoallylic (five-bond) couplings. These coupling interactions are stronger when the σ bond is parallel to the alkene...
Spin–Spin Coupling: Two-Bond Coupling (Geminal Coupling)
The central atom need not be NMR-active because its electrons are affected by the electron polarization of the spin-active atoms. However, spin information is transmitted less effectively than in one-bond coupling, and 2J values are usually weaker than 1J values. The energy of...
¹H NMR Chemical Shift Equivalence: Enantiotopic and Diastereotopic Protons
In chiral compounds such as 2-butanol, replacing the methylene hydrogens at C3 produces a pair of...
π Molecular Orbitals of 1,3-Butadiene
The simplest conjugated diene is 1,3-butadiene: a four-carbon system where each carbon is sp2-hybridized and has an unhybridized p orbital that contains an unpaired electron. According to molecular orbital theory, atomic orbitals combine to form molecular orbitals such that the number...