Chiral self-assembly of cellulose nanocrystals is driven by crystallite bundles

Thomas G. Parton, Richard M. Parker, Gea T. Kerkhof, Aurimas Narkevicius, Johannes S. Haataja, Bruno Frka-Petesic and Silvia Vignolini ()
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Thomas G. Parton: University of Cambridge
Richard M. Parker: University of Cambridge
Gea T. Kerkhof: University of Cambridge
Aurimas Narkevicius: University of Cambridge
Johannes S. Haataja: University of Cambridge
Bruno Frka-Petesic: University of Cambridge
Silvia Vignolini: University of Cambridge

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract The transfer of chirality across length-scales is an intriguing and universal natural phenomenon. However, connecting the properties of individual building blocks to the emergent features of their resulting large-scale structure remains a challenge. In this work, we investigate the origins of mesophase chirality in cellulose nanocrystal suspensions, whose self-assembly into chiral photonic films has attracted significant interest. By correlating the ensemble behaviour in suspensions and films with a quantitative morphological analysis of the individual nanoparticles, we reveal an inverse relationship between the cholesteric pitch and the abundance of laterally-bound composite particles. These ‘bundles’ thus act as colloidal chiral dopants, analogous to those used in molecular liquid crystals, providing the missing link in the hierarchical transfer of chirality from the molecular to the colloidal scale.

Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-30226-6

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30226-6

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