Letter abstract
Nature Materials 4, 51 - 55 (2004)
Published online: 19 December 2004 | doi:10.1038/nmat1268
Subject Categories: Ceramics | Polymers | Design synthesis and processing
Tectonic arrangement of BaCO3 nanocrystals into helices induced by a racemic block copolymer
Shu-Hong Yu1, Helmut Cölfen2, Klaus Tauer2 & Markus Antonietti2
Morphosynthesis strategies inspired by biomineralization processes gives access to a wide range of fascinating and useful crystalline mesostructures1, 2, 3. Biomimetic synthesis of inorganic materials with complex shapes can now be used to control the nucleation, tensorial growth, and alignment of inorganic crystals in a way previously not practicable3. Double hydrophilic block copolymers (DHBCs)4 consisting of a hydrophilic block strongly interacting with inorganic minerals, and a non-interacting hydrophilic block, were recently introduced for the control of mineralization reactions. DHBCs are 'improved versions' of the previously used polyelectrolytes or amphiphiles and are extraordinarily effective in crystallization control5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Here, we report on the formation of helices of achiral BaCO3 nanocrystals in the presence of a racemic DHBC suggesting that a helical alignment can be induced by racemic polymers through selective adsorption on the (110) face of nanocrystals. This mechanism is the key for a better understanding of the self-assembly of chiral organic–inorganic superstructures that don't follow a direct template route.
- Division of Nanomaterials and Chemistry, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Department of Chemistry, and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, PR China
- Department of Colloid Chemistry, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, MPI Research Campus Golm, D-14424, Potsdam, Germany
Correspondence to: Shu-Hong Yu1 e-mail: shyu@ustc.edu.cn
Correspondence to: Helmut Cölfen2 e-mail: coelfen@mpikg-golm.mpg.de
Correspondence to: Markus Antonietti2 e-mail: pape@mpikg-golm.mpg.de
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