Mandelic acid appended chiral gels as efficient templates for multicolour circularly polarized luminescence. Issue 13 (15th February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Reddy, Kumbam Lingeshwar; Mathew, Jikson Pulparayil; Maniappan, Sonia; Tom, Catherine; Shiby, Elizabeth; Pujala, Ravi Kumar; Kumar, Jatish
• Is Part Of: Nanoscale. Volume 14:Issue 13(2022)
• Page Start: 4946
• Page End: 4956
• Publication Date: 2022-02-15
• Subjects: Nanoscience -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; 620.505
• DOI: 10.1039/d1nr08506a
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2040-3364

Abstract

Abstract : A host-guest approach is adopted for the generation of multicolor chiral luminescence from a hybrid nanocomposite comprising of mandelic acid-based chiral gels and achiral carnon nanodots. Abstract : Mandelic acid is a medicinally important chiral molecule that is widely used as a vital component in antibiotics, antiseptics and cosmetics. While the medicinal properties of mandelic acid are well known, its aggregation and gelation characteristics, which are crucial to finding applications as cosmetics and ointments, are least explored. We have designed and synthesized a pair of mandelic acid derivatives and investigated their aggregation properties in binary solvent mixtures. The compounds undergo self-assembly through various noncovalent interactions, leading to the formation of robust chiral gels. Strong birefringence could be visualised from the individual structures constituting the gel. The large rod-like chiral structures are utilized as efficient templates for the assembly of ultra-small luminescent achiral carbon nanodots. The transfer of optical activity from the chiral host matrix to the fluorescent guest nanoparticles resulted in the generation of circularly polarized luminescence signals from the hybrid nanocomposites. The use of blue, green and red-emitting nanodots led to the fabrication of multicolour chiral light-emitting materials capable of covering the entire visible range. Considering the numerous medicinal benefits offered by mandelic acid and carbon nanodots, the materials constituting the nanocomposites, the distinct dimensions presented in the current work open new avenues for chiral light emitting materials to be used in biomedical research.