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Imaging chiroptical artifacts
Author(s) -
Freudenthal John H.,
Hollis Eva,
Kahr Bart
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
chirality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.43
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1520-636X
pISSN - 0899-0042
DOI - 10.1002/chir.20768
Subject(s) - chemistry , nanotechnology , materials science
It is well‐known that circular dichroism (CD) measurements of anisotropic media may contain artifacts that result from mixed linear anisotropies. Such artifacts are generally considered a nuisance. However, systematic artifacts, carefully measured, may contain valuable information. Herein, polycrystalline spherulites of D ‐sorbitol grown from the melt were analyzed with a Mueller matrix microscope, among other differential polarization images devices. As spherulites grew into one another they developed strong apparent optical rotation and CD signals at the boundaries between spherulites. These signals are shown not to have a chiroptical origin but rather resultfrom the interactions of linear anisotropies in polycrystalline bodies. Such chiroptical artifacts should not be dismissed reflexively. Rather, they are comprehensible crystal‐optical effects that serve to define mesoscale structure. Chirality 21:E20–E27, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.