POS4-1288
Microchiral pinwheel arrays based on achiral molecules
Topic
S4. Colloids, Interfaces, and Molecular Assemblies for Functional Soft Materials
When and Where
Sep 29, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Hae Jung SON
Boseok KANG
Presenter(s)
Jeong Yeon Han (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST))
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
From a molecular perspective, chirality is manifested in the intrinsic asymmetry of atomic arrangements that cannot be superimposed on their mirror images. Achiral molecules at nanometer scale can be assembled to have micron-scale chiral structures using physical stimuli, but the resulting chiral structures are often spatially limited, difficult to control over large areas, or unstable once the stimulus is removed. Here we show that a confined anisotropic molecular medium, derived from the nematic mesophase, undergoes a field-driven symmetry-breaking transition that generates micron-scale chiral structures. This approach provides a simple and scalable route to generate macroscopic chiral optical materials from molecularly symmetric precursors.
