Issue 3, 2022

Template-assisted self-assembly of achiral plasmonic nanoparticles into chiral structures

Abstract

The acquisition of strong chiroptical activity has revolutionized the field of plasmonics, granting access to novel light–matter interactions and revitalizing research on both the synthesis and application of nanostructures. Among the different mechanisms for the origin of chiroptical properties in colloidal plasmonic systems, the self-assembly of achiral nanoparticles into optically active materials offers a versatile route to control the structure–optical activity relationships of nanostructures, while simplifying the engineering of their chiral geometries. Such unconventional materials include helical structures with a precisely defined morphology, as well as large scale, deformable substrates that can leverage the potential of periodic patterns. Some promising templates with helical structural motifs like liquid crystal phases or confined block co-polymers still need efficient strategies to direct preferential handedness, whereas other templates such as silica nanohelices can be grown in an enantiomeric form. Both types of chiral structures are reviewed herein as platforms for chiral sensing: patterned substrates can readily incorporate analytes, while helical assemblies can form around structures of interest, like amyloid protein aggregates. Looking ahead, current knowledge and precedents point toward the incorporation of semiconductor emitters into plasmonic systems with chiral effects, which can lead to plasmonic–excitonic effects and the generation of circularly polarized photoluminescence.

Graphical abstract: Template-assisted self-assembly of achiral plasmonic nanoparticles into chiral structures

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
21 jun 2021
Accepted
02 sep 2021
First published
28 sep 2021
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Chem. Sci., 2022,13, 595-610

Template-assisted self-assembly of achiral plasmonic nanoparticles into chiral structures

D. Vila-Liarte, N. A. Kotov and L. M. Liz-Marzán, Chem. Sci., 2022, 13, 595 DOI: 10.1039/D1SC03327A

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