Recent progress at the interface between nanomaterial chirality and liquid crystals

Abstract

Chirality of nanomaterials is a rapidly evolving field, largely driven by the unique optical, electronic, magnetic or catalytic properties of plasmonic, magnetic and semiconductor nanomaterials among others. Liquid crystals continue to play a major role in developing a better understanding of their inherent chiroptical properties as well as serving as reporters to quantify and visualize nanomaterial chirality. Furthermore, liquid crystal phases are increasingly explored as potentially tuneable templates for the helical assembly of various types of nanomaterials. This review summarizes recent progress in this area by describing representative examples and key strategies pursued to interface nanomaterial and liquid crystal chirality. These studies focus on a range of organic and inorganic nanomaterials varying in size, shape and composition as well as on both thermotropic and lyotropic liquid crystal phases. Finally, the two materials concepts merge when liquid crystal molecules self-assemble into distinct filamentous chiral nanoshapes capable of templating other nanomaterials. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT