Intrinsically chiral thermoresponsive assemblies from achiral clusters: enhanced luminescence and optical activity through tailor-made chiral additives†

Chiral metal clusters, due to their intriguing optical properties and unique resemblance in size to biomolecules, have attracted a lot of attention in recent times as potential candidates for application in bio-detection and therapy. While several strategies are reported for the synthesis of optically active clusters, a facile approach that enhances a multitude of properties has remained a challenge. Herein, we report a simple strategy wherein the use of a chiral cationic surfactant, during the synthesis of achiral clusters, leads to the fabrication of chiral assemblies possessing enhanced luminescence and optical activity. The structural resemblance of the capping ligand, mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) to the co-surfactant, (+/−)-N-dodecyl-N-methylephedrinium bromide (DMEB), assisted specific interactions that led to the formation of chiral assemblies exhibiting unique thermoresponsive behavior and tunable optical activity. The symmetry breaking in the aggregates driven by the electrostatic interaction between the positively charged chiral surfactant and negatively charged clusters led to enhanced luminescence through aggregation induced enhanced emission (AIEE). The work highlighting the generation and tuning of cluster chirality provides newer insights into the fundamental understanding of nanocluster optical activity thereby opening newer avenues for the development of materials for application in the field of chiral biosensing and enantioselective catalysis.