Double-Helical Nanostructures with Controllable Handedness in Bulk Diblock Copolymers.

Abstract

Double-helical nanostructures with controllable handedness in bulk materials is of high interest in science and technology for the design and fabrication of new materials, in particular metamaterials, which mimic their natural homologues or even show superior properties. Herein, we report the fabrication of double-helical structures with controlled handedness through the self-assembly of an achiral diblock copolymer doped with d- and l-tartaric acid (TA). The helices showed clear handedness dependence on the chirality of the TA. The chiral arrangement of different achiral tectonic units, such as nanoparticles and organic molecules, was confirmed using this helical structure as a template. The double-helical structure will provide new knowledge for understanding the function of helices, and will enable the application of these systems as chiroptical materials.