In situ helicity inversion of self-assembled nano-helices.

The handedness of nanometrical helices based on surfactant assemblies was inverted when these helices were in contact with an excess solution of chiral anions with opposite enantiomers. An important difference in the kinetics of chirality inversion at the molecular level and mesoscopic level was observed.

Nucleotide-promoted morphogenesis in amphiphile assemblies: kinetic control of micrometric helix formation.

Anionic nucleotides adenosine monophosphate or guanosine monophosphate interact with cationic vesicles, exchange with the counteranions of the amphiphiles in situ, and organize themselves at the membrane surfaces. Such organized nucleotides reciprocally transfer their chirality to membranes of nonchiral amphiphiles to induce the formation of right-handed micrometric helices on the time scale of hours. The kinetics of the nucleotide molecular organization and the formation of supramolecular helices was followed.