Instability-Induced Crystal Self-Assembly in Film-Substrate System for the Construction of Large-Area Micro- and Nano-Chiral Structures

Instability-Induced Crystal Self-Assembly in Film-Substrate System for the Construction of Large-Area Micro- and Nano-Chiral Structures | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Instability-Induced Crystal Self-Assembly in Film-Substrate System for the Construction of Large-Area Micro- and Nano-Chiral Structures Xinghua Shi, Fushuai Wang, Quanzi Yuan This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5668074/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 01 Jul, 2025 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Chiral supramolecular self-assembly structures exhibit distinct properties that significantly surpass those of achiral structures, with broad applications in optoelectronics, medicine, biomimetics, and interfaces. However, due to the limited understanding of the mechanisms underlying the generation and cross-scale transmission of supramolecular chirality, the controlled construction of chiral supramolecular structures at mesoscopic/macroscopic scales remains a major challenge. Here, we present a method based on Instability-Induced Crystal Self-Assembly (IICSA), where external shear triggers instability in ibuprofen supramolecular films, leading to the transformation of ibuprofen from a disordered state in the film to large-area, ordered chiral supramolecular structures consisting of lamellar and left-/right-handed fiber combinations via crystallization. Based on the two-dimensional film model, both direct visualization and active control of the self-assembly dynamics of the chiral supramolecular structures are achieved. The influence of surface/interface effects, geometry effects, and solid-liquid interactions on the self-assembly dynamics is revealed through a combination of theoretical modeling and experimental analysis. It has been demonstrated that mechanical instability plays a crucial role in the appearance and subsequent evolution of chiral supramolecular structures. Furthermore, the application of these chiral supramolecular structures in modulating wettability has been explored, showing a significant impact on controlling the liquid contact angle. This study not only provides new insights into the mechanisms of supramolecular chirality generation and cross-scale transmission but also offers a novel approach to the controllable construction of mesoscopic/macroscopic chiral supramolecular structures. Physical sciences/Chemistry/Supramolecular chemistry/Self-assembly Physical sciences/Materials science/Condensed-matter physics/Surfaces, interfaces and thin films Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files Supplementarymaterial.docx Supplementary material MovieS1.mp4 Movie S1 MovieS2.mp4 Movie S2 MovieS3.mp4 Movie S3 Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 01 Jul, 2025 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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