From Pasteur’s crystals to modern nanoscience: searching for the origins of chiral crystal shapes

From Pasteur’s crystals to modern nanoscience: searching for the origins of chiral crystal shapes

This project investigates how crystals develop chiral (handed) shapes during growth, challenging the long-held belief that chiral building blocks alone determine crystal chirality. Using nanocrystals as model systems, researchers will ex-plore how structural defects called screw dislocations influence crystal formation and shape. The findings could trans-form our understanding of crystal growth, reveal previously overlooked mechanisms, and provide new ways to design chiral nanomaterials for advanced technologies.