Chiral π-conjugated molecules bring new functionality to technological applications and represent an exciting, rapidly expanding area of research. Their functional properties, such as the absorption and emission of circularly polarized light or the transport of spin-polarized electrons, are highly anisotropic. As a result, the orientation of chiral molecules critically determines the functionality and efficiency of chiral devices. Here we present a strategy to control the orientation of a small chiral molecule (2,2′-dicyano[6]helicene) by the use of organic and inorganic templating layers. Such templating layers can either force 2,2′-dicyano[6]helicene to adopt a face-on orientation and self-assemble into upright supramolecular columns oriented with their helical axis perpendicular to the substrate, or an edge-on orientation with parallel-lying supramolecular columns. Through such control, we show that low- and high-energy chiroptical responses can be independently ‘turned on’ or ‘turned off’. The templating methodologies described here provide a simple way to engineer orientational control and, by association, anisotropic functional properties of chiral molecular systems for a range of emerging technologies.

手性π共轭分子为技术应用带来了新的功能，代表了一个令人兴奋的、快速扩展的研究领域。它们的功能特性，例如圆偏振光的吸收和发射或自旋偏振电子的传输，是高度各向异性的。因此，手性分子的取向关键决定了手性器件的功能和效率。在这里，我们提出了一种通过使用有机和无机模板层来控制小手性分子（2,2'-二氰基[6]螺旋烯）方向的策略。这种模板层可以迫使2,2'-二氰基[6]螺旋烯采用正面取向并自组装成直立的超分子柱，其螺旋轴垂直于基底，或者具有平行的边缘取向。卧式超分子柱。通过这种控制，我们表明低能和高能手性光学响应可以独立“打开”或“关闭”。这里描述的模板方法提供了一种简单的方法来设计取向控制，并通过关联，为一系列新兴技术设计手性分子系统的各向异性功能特性。