Generation of Supramolecular Chirality around Twofold Rotational or Helical Axes in Crystalline Assemblies of Achiral Components

Abstract

A multi-point approximation method clarifies supramolecular chirality of twofold rotational or helical assemblies as well as bundles of the one-dimensional (1D) assemblies. While one-point approximation of materials claims no chirality generation of such assemblies, multi-point approximations do claim possible generation in the 1D assemblies of bars and plates. Such chirality derives from deformations toward three-axial directions around the helical axes. The chiral columns are bundled in chiral ways through symmetry operations. The preferable right- or left-handed columns are bundled together to yield chiral crystals with right- or left-handedness, respectively, indicating that twofold helix symmetry operations cause chiral crystals composed of achiral components via a three-stepwise and three-directional process.

Keywords

• supramolecular assemblies
• supramolecular chirality
• twofold helix
• multi-point approximation
• chirality generation
• achiral components
• columnar bundles
• chiral crystals
• handedness determination