Two helices from one chiral centre – self organization of disc shaped chiral nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been prepared and surface-functionalized with a mixture of 1-hexanethiol co-ligands and chiral discogen ligands separated from a disulfide function via a flexible spacer. Polarized optical microscopy together with differential scanning calorimetry showed that the organic corona of the nanocomposite forms a stable chiral discotic nematic phase with a wide thermal range. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction showed that gold NPs form a superlattice with p2 plane symmetry. Analysis indicated that the organic corona takes up the shape of a flexible macrodisk. Synchrotron radiation-based circular dichroism signals of thin films are significantly enhanced on the isotropic-LC transition, in line with the formation of a chiral nematic phase of the organic corona. At lower temperatures the appearance of CD signals at longer wavelengths is associated with the chiral organisation of the NPs and is indicative of the formation of a second helical structure. The decreased volume required and the chiral environment of the disc ligands drives the nanoparticles into columns that arrange helically, parallel to the shortest axis of the two dimensional lattice.