Bowtie Chiral Nanoassemblies for Continuous Chirality Tuning

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies lack the ability to provide a high degree of control over chirality in nanostructured microparticles, particularly in terms of size, pitch, thickness, and length, which is crucial for applications in chiral photonics and machine vision.

Innovation Solution

The development of chiral microparticles comprising assemblies of nanoribbons with a bowtie shape, where each nanoribbon is interconnected by cadmium ions, allowing for tunable chirality within an OPD index of −150 to +150, and the assembly exhibits dimensions ranging from 100 nm to 100 micrometers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional chiral structures are used, then binary chirality (left/right) is achieved, but continuous control over chirality is not possible

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechirality control rangeVSAvoidchirality precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by systematically varying multiple geometric parameters (pitch, size, thickness, length) of the bowtie nanoassembly structure to achieve continuous chirality control. By changing these physical dimensions, the patent transitions from binary chirality to a continuous spectrum of chiral states, directly resolving the contradiction between adaptability and manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If fixed chiral geometry is used, then structural stability is achieved, but tunable chirality properties cannot be obtained

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechirality tunabilityVSAvoidstructural stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by creating a structure where geometric parameters can be deliberately adjusted to change chirality properties. The bowtie nanoassembly maintains structural stability through its defined geometry while allowing controlled variation of pitch, size, thickness, and length to achieve tunable chirality, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Manufacturing precision

If simple chiral structures are used, then ease of manufacture is achieved, but high degree of chirality control is not possible

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechirality control precisionVSAvoidnanostructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the chiral structure into distinct geometric components (bowtie shape with definable pitch, size, thickness, and length parameters). This segmentation allows independent control of each parameter to achieve precise chirality control while maintaining a manufacturable nanoassembly structure, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution provides a continuous range of chirality control, enabling advanced optical properties and applications in machine vision by enhancing the interaction of light with these microparticles.

Implementation Method 1

each nanoribbon of the plurality of nanoribbons comprises at least two peptides interconnected by at least one cadmium ion (Cd2+)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectIon coordination: Chemical Bonding

Implementation Method 2

Certain materials with microscale and/or nanoscale chirality are known to strongly rotate the polarization of linearly polarized (LinP) and circularly polarized light (CPL)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectOptical activity: Polarisation

Implementation Method 3

Chirality of a microparticle or nanoparticle means that the structure exhibits asymmetrical optical activity with different handedness

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCircular dichroism: Absorption (EM radiation)

Data Source

PatentUS20250346628A1Photonically active bowtie nanoassemblies with chirality continuum and applications thereof in machine vision

Publication Date: 2025.11.13 THE RGT UNIV OF MICHIGAN

AI summary

Nanostructured chiral microparticles with bowtie shape having widely variable pitch, size, thickness and length are provided. The self-limited assembly of anisotropic building blocks makes possible high synthetic reproducibility, size monodispersity and computational predictability of their geometries for different assembly conditions. They display multiple strong circular dichroism peaks originating from absorptive and scattering phenomena. Unlike classical chiral molecules, these particles display a continuum of Osipov-Pickup-Dunmur chirality measures that exponentially correlate with the spectral positions of the circular dichroism peaks. Bowtie particles with variable polarization rotation were utilized in printing photonically active metasurfaces with spectrally tunable positive/negative polarization signatures for light detection and ranging (LIDAR) devices.