Discover New Frontiers in Chiral Materials Science
Building the Molecular Foundations for Circularly Polarized Light Technologies
A case study using the Chirascan CPL accessory
Introduction
Researchers have achieved a breakthrough in the synthesis of [5]helicene-based molecular lemniscates, intricate figure-eight shaped molecules that exhibit remarkable chiroptical properties. Through an innovative enantiopure synthetic method, they successfully linked two homochiral helicenes using azine motifs, creating highly stable structures capable of manipulating circularly polarized light (CPL).
These molecules act as potent chiral dopants, inducing strong dissymmetry in achiral emissive polymers like F8BT. This development not only allows precise control over the handedness of CPL emissions but also holds exciting potential for optoelectronic applications such as advanced displays, optical data storage, and CP-OLEDs (circularly polarized organic light-emitting diodes).
The study offers a scalable and elegant approach to crafting complex, chiral architectures — opening new pathways in materials science and molecular engineering.
Data Acquired
Normalised CPL data for helicenoid (7) and lemniscate (8) in F8BT polymer
Variable temperature CPL measurements for F8BT films containing 10% P(S,S)-7 or M(R,R)-7 (left/top) and 10% (P,P)-8 or (M,M)-8 (right/bottom) as chiral dopants, excited at 460 nm. The differences in glum between films produced with enantiomeric dopants are attributed to film inhomogeneity. Data were acquired using a Chirascan CPL instrument and subsequently normalised.
The luminescence dissymmetry factor, glum, is defined as the ratio of the difference in left- and right-circularly polarized luminescence (ΔI) to the total luminescence intensity (I), or glum = ΔI / I. This value, reported as an absolute number by the Chirascan software, helps quantify the degree of circular polarization in a sample's emitted light—an important characteristic when evaluating the chiroptical properties of materials for applications such as circularly polarized OLEDs.
Publication
Dive deeper into the detailed findings of this research on variable temperature CPL measurements and chiral dopant effects in F8BT films. Learn how advanced spectroscopic techniques and material design strategies drive new insights in chiral optoelectronics.
Read the full research in Nature Communications