Controlling Circularly Polarized Luminescence Enabled by Chirality and Energy Transfer from Optimized Chiral Molecules to Quantum Dots

Chirality transfer/amplification and energy transfer in artificial assembly systems are longstanding challenges inspired by biological systems. In particular, controlling intercomponent interactions to engineer CPL-active materials in multicomponent chiral coassemblies remains difficult. Here, we report the simultaneous realization of chirality and energy transfer in self-assembled hybrid systems comprising quantum dots with high photoluminescence quantum yield and organic molecules featuring aggregation-induced emission (AIE). Three chiral AIE molecules based on the tetraphenylethylene core, differing in the number and/or position of alkyl chains, were designed and synthesized. These structural variations led to distinct self-assembled morphologies, including helical fibrils, fibril bundles, and ribbons. Co-assembly with luminescent CdSe/CdS nanorods yielded organic-inorganic hybrid nanocomposites, where chirality transfer from the organic molecules to the nanorods strongly depended on the molecular structure. In parallel, efficient energy transfer from chiral donors to the nanorod acceptors was observed across all systems. Notably, the synergistic action of both chirality and energy transfer enabled the construction of CPL-active materials with high luminescence asymmetry factors. This work presents a strategy for designing chiroptical systems with enhanced chiroptical performance.