Abstract
A phenomenon of self-assembly of solitary rigid supramolecular strings with lengths up to \(\sim \)0.1 cm and anisometry ratios \(\sim \)(10\(^{2 }-10^{4}\)) was discovered in dilute (\(\sim \)10\(^{-3}\) M) solutions of homochiral trifluoroacetylated aminoalcohols (TFAAA). Macroscopic chirality (helicity) of strings with diameters from \(\sim \)2 nm to 20 \(\upmu \)m and lengths from \(10^{2}\) nm to 0.1 cm was revealed as well as their chiral hierarchy: thicker strings consist of intertwisted thinner ones (superhelicity), with helix step lengths from \(\sim \)10 nm to several tens of \(\upmu \)m. Empirical rule of switching of the macroscopic chirality sign between superhelicity levels was established, which fits the fundamental synergetic law of chirality sign switching between hierarchy levels of complexity in biological systems. It was shown that molecular chirality act as a macroscopic helicity structural factor.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
S.V. Stovbun, Formation of wirelike structures in dilute solution of chiral compounds. Russ. J. Phys. Chem. B 5(4), 546–553 (2011)
S.V. Stovbun, O.N. Krutius, A.M. Zanin, D.S. Skorobogat’ko, R.G. Kostyanovskii, Experimental observation of anisometric structures in solutions with a low gelator content. Russ. J. Phys. Chem. B 5(5), 846 (2011)
S.V. Stovbun, A.M. Zanin, A.A. Skoblin, A.I. Mikhailov, A.A. Berlin, Phenomenological description of the spontaneous formation of macroscopic strings in low-concentration chiral solutions and the formation of anisometric gels. Dokl. Phys. Chem. 442(2), 36 (2012)
S.V. Stovbun, A.A. Skoblin, Chirotropical phenomena in biological fluids and their homochiral models. Mosc. Univ. Phys. Bull. 67(3), 278–281 (2012)
P. de Gennes, Ideas of Scaling in Polymer Physics (Mir Publishers, Moscow, 1982)
S.V. Stovbun, A.I. Mikhailov, A.M. Zanin, R.G. Kostyanovskii, Chirality in self-organization of strings in liquid phase and principles of economy in nature. Vestnik Moskovskogo Oblastnogo Universiteta 3, 92–97 (2011) [in Russian]
S.V. Stovbun, A.M. Zanin, A.A. Skoblin, D.P. Shashkin, A.I. Mikhailov, M.V. Grishin, B.R. Shub, Compaction of intermolecular bonds in the macroscopic chiral phase of strings. Russ. J. Phys. Chem. B 7(1), 1 (2013)
M. Kleman, O.D. Lavrentovich, Soft Matter Physics (Springer, Berlin, 2003)
S.V. Stovbun, A.M. Zanin, A.A. Skoblin, A.I. Mikhailov, R.G. Kostyanovskii, M.V. Grishin, B.R. Shub, Macroscopic chirality of strings. Russ. J. Phys. Chem. B 5(6), 1019 (2011)
S.V. Stovbun, A.A. Skoblin, A.M. Zanin, M.V. Grishin, B.R. Shub, Yu.M. Rybin, I.M. Ageev, G.G. Shishkin, V.A. Tverdislov, Superspiralization of chiral strings. Bull. Exp. Biol. Med. 154(1), 34–36 (2012)
S.V. Stovbun, A.A. Skoblin, V.A. Tverdislov, Biological fluids as chiral anisometric media. Bull. Exp. Biol. Med. 152(6), 703–706 (2012)
J.N. Israelachvili, Intermolecular and Surface Forces (Academic Press, New York, 1992)
V.A. Tverdislov, Chirality as a primary switch of hierarchical levels in molecular biological systems. Biophysics 58(1), 128 (2013)
V.A. Tverdislov, L.V. Yakovenko, Physical aspects of the emergence of living cell precursors: the ion and chiral asymmetries as two fundamental asymmetry types. Mosc. Univ. Phys. Bull. 63(3), 151–163 (2008)
V.A. Tverdislov, A.E. Sidorova, L.V. Yakovenko, From symmetries to the laws of evolution. i. chirality as a means of active media stratification. Biophysics 57(1), 146 (2012)
G. Shultz, R. Shirmer, Principles of Structural Organization of Proteins (Mir Publishers, Moscow, 1982)
A.B. Rubin, Biophysics, Biophysics of Cell Processes (MSU Publishers, Moscow, 2004)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this paper
Cite this paper
Stovbun, S.V., Skoblin, A.A., Litvin, I.A. (2014). Superhelicity of Chiral Strings. In: Polychroniadis, E., Oral, A., Ozer, M. (eds) International Multidisciplinary Microscopy Congress. Springer Proceedings in Physics, vol 154. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-04639-6_35
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-04639-6_35
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-04638-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-04639-6
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)