Enantioselective disruption of cellulose nanocrystal self-assembly into chiral nematic phases in d-alanine solutions

The chiral environment of enantiomerically pure d-alanine solutions is observed to disrupt and modify the entropy-driven assembly of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) into a chiral nematic mesophase. The effect is specific to d-alanine and cannot be attributed to the adsorption of alanine molecules (neither d- nor l-alanine) onto the CNC particles.

Automated summary

The chiral environment of d-alanine solutions disrupts and modifies the assembly of cellulose nanocrystals into a chiral nematic mesophase, and this effect is specific to d-alanine and not caused by the adsorption of alanine molecules onto the CNC particles.