Twisting, untwisting, and retwisting of elastic Co-based nanohelices

Autor: Wei Du, Feng Gao, Peng Cui, Zhiwu Yu, Wei Tong, Jihao Wang, Zhuang Ren, Chuang Song, Jiaying Xu, Haifeng Ma, Liyun Dang, Di Zhang, Qingyou Lu, Jun Jiang, Junfeng Wang, Li Pi, Zhigao Sheng, Qingyi Lu
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Nature Communications, Vol 14, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2041-1723
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40001-w
Popis: Abstract The reversible transformation of a nanohelix is one of the most exquisite and important phenomena in nature. However, nanomaterials usually fail to twist into helical crystals. Considering the irreversibility of the previously studied twisting forces, the reverse process (untwisting) is more difficult to achieve, let alone the retwisting of the untwisted crystalline nanohelices. Herein, we report a new reciprocal effect between molecular geometry and crystal structure which triggers a twisting-untwisting-retwisting cycle for tri-cobalt salicylate hydroxide hexahydrate. The twisting force stems from competition between the condensation reaction and stacking process, different from the previously reported twisting mechanisms. The resulting distinct nanohelices give rise to unusual structure elasticity, as reflected in the reversible change of crystal lattice parameters and the mutual transformation between the nanowires and nanohelices. This study proposes a fresh concept for designing reversible processes and brings a new perspective in crystallography.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals