Optically active chiral Ag nanowires

Chiral Ag nanowires (CAgNWs), fabricated inside chiral carbon nanotubes (CCNTs), exhibit strong circular dichroism (CD) signals in the visible and near-IR regions. Enantiopure CCNTs were prepared by carbonization of the self-assembled chiral polypyrrole nanotubes according to our previous report. Ag ions could be easily introduced into the chiral pores of CCNTs due to the capillary phenomenon. After hydrogen reduction, the optically active CAgNWs formed inside the channels of the CCNTs. The helical channels in the CCNTs played a predominant effect on the chiral formation of the CAgNWs. This system provides new insight into the fabrication as well as the study of optical activity (OA) of chiral inorganic nanomaterials. Such novel chiral inorganic material will bring new opportunities in non-linear optics, biosensors and chiral recognition.