title: Chiral J-aggregates formed by achiral cyanine dyes.
abstract: The self-assembly of helical supramolecular structures from chiral building units is a basic principle of biological materials. The mesoscopic structure of a chiral molecular aggregate, which formed spontaneously from a nonchiral J-aggregating cyanine dye in aqueous solution, is presented. In single crystals (as shown in the picture) a coexistance of planar molecules with left- and right-handed twisted conformers of the same dye are found; the latter may act as templates to build up the helical superstructures.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institute for Colloids and Interfaces, Am Mühlenberg 2, 14476 Golm/Potsdam, Germany. kirstein@physik.hu-berlin.de
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kirstein
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: von Berlepsch
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Böttcher
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Burger
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ouart
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reck
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dähne
mesh_terms: D002232:Carbocyanines / Q000737:chemistry*; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000737:chemistry; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D002232:Carbocyanines; D012997:Solvents