Helical Chirality of Supramolecular Columns and Spheres Self-Organizes Complex Liquid Crystals, Crystals, and Quasicrystals

Homochiral helical self-organizations provide some of the most fundamental architectures of biological macromolecules and of their co-assemblies although they were first discovered and elucidated only during the early 1950. Helical synthetic covalent macromolecules started to be discovered soon after and were followed by supramolecular macromolecules and their co-assemblies few decades later. This perspective will provide a brief historical development of chiral helical self-organizations in biology and in supramolecular chemistry. Helical covalent and supramolecular macromolecules self-organize and co-organize helical supramolecular columns and spherical helices that can generate complex liquid crystals, crystals including Frank-Kasper phases, and quasicrystals. The design of new functions based on synthetic helical assemblies will also be discussed. Personal events from the life of scientists contributing to these developments are also briefly mentioned.

Automated summary

This article briefly introduces the historical development of chiral helical self-organizations in biology and supramolecular chemistry, covering various structures formed by homochiral covalent and supramolecular macromolecules self-organizing, as well as the design of new functions based on synthetic helical assemblies. Personal events from the lives of scientists contributing to these developments are also briefly mentioned.