Mesoscopic and hierarchical «chiral» objects to measure chirality
Reiko Oda, CNRS, University of Bordeaux-AIMR, University of Tohoku
Monday 3 November 2025, 12.00 PM
ICMAB - Sala d'Actes Carles Miravitlles and ONLINE (Register here)
Abstract
Chirality can be transmitted across various media and size scales, from spinning elementary particles and chiral molecules to mesoscopic and macroscopic structures through electromagnetic fields or emergent spin structures. The mechanisms underlying the transmission of chiral information, which can manifest in intra- and inter-atomic/molecular interactions, are highly complex and continue to fascinate scientists. When investigating systems spanning a wide range of sizes, hierarchical nanostructures based on molecular assemblies offer promising solutions to bridge the gap that is challenging to address using both top-down and bottom-up approaches.
For several decades, we have developed helical nanostructures with controlled sizes ranging from 10 to 100 nm and defined handedness. These structures have shown significant potential not only as fundamentally intriguing objects with unique properties but also as helical platforms capable of transmitting chiral information between small and large scales, including electrons, atoms, molecules, large polymers, and even nanoparticles. Through these interactions, we have demonstrated exciting examples of their applications in chiral induction, amplification, crystallization, reactions, and chiral recognition. This discussion will explore how chiral components expressing chirality at various hierarchical scales can interact with each other, leading to either the enhancement or attenuation of chirality within chiral matrices. Particular attention will be given to the interplay between order and disorder and how it influences the expression of hierarchical chirality in diverse organic and inorganic chiral systems. This expressed chirality can be evaluated using various measurable parameters, such as morphological characteristics, chiroptical signals, reactivity, and recognition efficiency.
Short bio
Research activities of Oda are focused on the fine control of nano-micro structures based on self-assembly. Particularly interested in chirality, she is interested in understanding the fundamental mechanisms and parameters that control their morphologies and dynamics and have been developing chiral nanostructures based on various materials (metal, metal-oxides, semi-conductor, carbon-based, luminescent materials, magnetic materials, etc..) with well-controlled morphologies and functions. Due to their mesoscopic dimension, these chiral nanostructures show extremely rich and particular physical properties and interact with chiral fields in a dimension-specific manner.
The seminar is organized in collaboration with the DocFam+ doctoral program (MSCA COFUND) and part of the DocFam+ training program (DocFam+ Talks).
Hosted by David Amabilino, from the SUSMOSYS group (Materials for Electronics Research Line)
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