Chiral Nucleating Agents Affecting the Handedness of Lamellar Twist in the Banded Spherulites in Poly(ε-Caprolactone)/Poly(Vinyl Butyral) Blends

Chiral silica, which acts as a nucleating agent of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), was demonstrated to induce excess handedness of lamellar twist in the banded spherulites of PCL blended with poly(vinyl butyral). The d- and l-forms of silica enhanced the right- and left-handed twists, respectively. The influences of chiral silica on the twist handedness were statistically significant. These results indicate that the handedness of twisting can be controlled upon primary nucleation. The organic substances used as chiral templates of silica had no effect on the handedness; silica was shown to govern the handedness. The possible mechanisms of the chirality transfer are discussed.

Unusual chirality transfer from silica to metallic nanoparticles with formation of distorted atomic array in crystal lattice structure

Transfer of chirality from chiral organic molecules to metallic nanoparticles (NPs) is a very attractive field of research and some unique approaches to obtaining chiral metallic NPs have been developed. However, to date, there has been no report in the literature that the chiral information of silica can be transferred into metallic NPs. In this work, a new chirality transfer system to metallic NPs from chiral silica has been achieved. The chiral transfer was performed by simple two steps: (1) trapping metal cations of silver (Ag) and gold (Au) in chiral silica of nano fibrous bundles embedding poly(ethyleneimine) inside and (2) thermoreducing the metal ions into metallic NPs. The metallic NPs of Au and Ag grown around a silica frame, using a thermo-reduction (calcination) process, showed a spherical shape with a size of about 30 nm. Interestingly, the metallic NPs detached or isolated from the silica via crushing and/or hydrolysis of the silica showed remarkable circular dichroism activity in their plasmon absorption band with an exciton coupling feature. Using an atomic resolution scanning transmission protocol, it was found that the chiral metallic NPs have a definite distortion in the atomic array in their crystal lattice structures. In comparison, achiral metallic NPs, which were prepared using a similar method around achiral silica bundles, showed a precisely ordered atomic line without distortion.

Chiroptical phenolic resins grown on chiral silica-bonded amine residues

Chiral silica bonded covalently with amine residues as an asymmetric medium to asymmetrically mediate the polymerization of resorcinol and formaldehyde to give chiroptical phenolic resins.