Helical Nanofilament Phases
In the formation of chiral crystals, the tendency for twist in the orientation of neighboring molecules is incompatible with ordering into a lattice: Twist is expelled from planar layers at the expense of local strain. We report the ordered state of a neat material in which a local chiral structure is expressed as twisted layers, a state made possible by spatial limitation of layering to a periodic array of nanoscale filaments. Although made of achiral molecules, the layers in these filaments are twisted and rigorously homochiral - a broken symmetry. The precise structural definition achieved in filament self-assembly enables collective organization into arrays in which an additional broken symmetry - the appearance of macroscopic coherence of the filament twist-produces a liquid crystal phase of helically precessing layers.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE SC OFFICE OF SCIENCE (SC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-98CH10886
- OSTI ID:
- 1041972
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-97650-2012-JA; SCIEAS; TRN: US201212%%383
- Journal Information:
- Science (Washington, D.C.), Vol. 325, Issue 5939; ISSN 0036-8075
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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