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Adaptive Cavity-Enabled Crystalline Chirality in Nanocarbon Cages
Zhongwen Liu1,2, Bohan Zhao1,2, Lan Sheng1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Soil Pollution Control and Safety, Stoddart Institute of Molecular Science, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P. R. China.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|June 12, 2026
Summary
Researchers discovered that nanocarbon cage chirality can be altered in crystals using an "adaptive cavity" effect. This allows creating chiral superstructures from achiral materials with unique optical and piezoelectric properties.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Solid-State Chemistry
Background:
- Chiral nanocarbons possess unique chiroptical properties valuable for advanced optical applications.
- Controlling chirality at the molecular level in solid-state systems is crucial for developing novel materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the modulation of nanocarbon cage chirality in the crystalline state.
- To demonstrate the construction of chiral hierarchical superstructures from achiral building blocks.
- To explore the chiroptical and piezoelectric properties of the resulting chiral crystals.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing an "adaptive cavity" effect to alter nanocarbon cage conformation.
- Employing different crystallization solvents and introducing coronene guest molecules.
- Characterizing the structural and functional properties of the synthesized chiral materials.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated that nanocarbon cage chirality can be controllably changed in the crystalline state.
- Successfully constructed chiral hierarchical superstructures from achiral nanocarbon building blocks.
- Observed significant second-harmonic generation activity and a strong piezoelectric response (d33 = 120 pm/V) in the chiral crystals.
Conclusions:
- The "adaptive cavity" effect provides a novel method for controlling molecular chirality in solid-state systems.
- This work offers new insights into designing advanced chiral crystalline nanocarbon materials.
- The developed approach enables the creation of functional chiral materials with potential in optics and electronics.
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