Chiral Bioinspired Plasmonics: A Paradigm Shift for Optical Activity and Photochemistry

This Perspective concerns the latest developments in the field of chiral nanocrystals (NCs) and metastructures, focusing primarily on plasmonic nanostructures. Such nanomaterials exhibit unusually strong near-field and electromagnetic responses that enable efficient biosensing and light manipulation. Herein we share our thoughts on the latest trends that mark what we call a paradigm shift for the vast and dynamic field of chiroptical materials. The topics to be considered include polarization-sensitive photocatalysis with chiral plasmonic NCs, chiral bioconjugates, DNA-based assemblies, chiral growth, and we also describe the fundamental challenges for optical induction of chirality, transfer of chirality between different scales, and theoretical issues that nanoscience is facing.