Shape-controlled palladium nanoparticles on polyaniline nanohelices with chirality continuum for tuneable photothermal response and enantioselective catalysis

The integration of chiral catalysts with circularly polarized light (CPL) for enantioselective catalysis is an emerging research direction. Herein, a series of cubic and icosahedral Pd nanoparticles loaded on polyaniline nanohelices with continuously varying helicity were synthesized as chiral catalysts. Under matched CPL, they show chiral structure-dependent photothermal response and enhanced catalytic activity and enantioselectivity, all increasing with the degree of helical twist. Cubic and icosahedral Pd nanoparticles loaded on polyaniline nanohelices with chirality continuum demonstrate chiral structure-dependent photothermal response and catalytic enantioselectivity.