Chirality transfer from molecular to morphological scales in quasi-one-dimensional nanomaterials: A continuum model

Structural hierarchy of chirality is observable in a diversity of biological and synthetic materials and related to some unusual physical properties. The transfer of chirality among different length scales is a crucial issue of both theoretical and technological interest. In this paper, a continuum model is developed to phenomenologically rationalize the chirality transfer from the constituent molecules to geometric morphology of quasi-one-dimensional nanomaterials. We demonstrate that the competition or cooperative interactions between lower-level chirality and surface effects may lead to the formation of various asymmetric geometric shapes. The twisting handedness and pitch length of chiral morphologies of quasi-one-dimensional materials is derived in terms of materials chirality and anisotropic surface stresses. The inversion of morphological chirality observed in experiments is also explained in this paper. The results of the study is useful not only for understanding various interesting phenomena associated with chirality but also for optimal design and fabrication of novel materials and devices with enhanced properties and functions.