Precise Control\nof Polyaniline Nanohelices with Chirality\nContinuum and Their Correlation on Catalytic Performance

Left-\nand right-handed chiral molecule inducers have\nbeen frequently\nused to guide the formation of chiral nanomaterials with binary chiral\nshapes. However, the transition of chiral nanomaterials from discrete\nto continuously tunable chiral shapes is imperative but challenging\nand will contribute to a deep understanding of the fundamental relations\nbetween chiral nanostructures and their chemical properties. This\nstudy shows that chiral polyaniline nanohelices (PANI NHs) with similar\naspect ratios (∼5.0) but continuously tunable screw pitches\n(293 to ∞ nm) and tilt angles (33° to 0°) can be\nfabricated by adjusting the enantiomer excess of <i>S/R</i>-camphorsulfonic acid used as a chiral molecule inducer. After Au\nnanoparticles were loaded on the surface of chiral PANI NHs, the chiral\nmorphology-dependent catalytic performances of PANI-Au NHs are studied\nin reduction, oxidation, and enantioselective catalytic reactions,\nshowing that the larger the helical twist degree, the higher the catalytic\nactivity and enantioselectivity of PANI-Au NHs.