Amplification of chirality of lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals confined to capillaries

Lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals (LCLC) molecules are achiral, that have plank-like rigid aromatic cores and hydrophilic ionic groups at the peripheries. Upon confinement of LCLCs in cylindrical capillary, the director adopts a doubly twisted director configuration, due to unusually small twist elastic constants in LCLCs. Since the LCLC is achiral, they possess multi domain with equal probability of both handedness which is separated by Neel walls. In this work, we report that by adding minute amounts of chiral molecules to LCLCs with a doubly twisted director configuration possessing both handedness, the whole system can be transformed into a single handedness. The structure and charge of the chiral molecules were also studied. By investigating the effect of various chiral molecules within this LCLCs in capillary system, we expect to understand chirality amplification mechanisms.