Tracking Chirality Evolution in Tellurium Nanocrystals Via Polarization-Resolved Second-Harmonic Scattering

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Chirality pervades living systems and increasingly guides the design of functional nanomaterials. Yet weak or residual chirality can be difficult to detect, particularly in liquid-phase nanocrystal syntheses requiring noninvasive probes. Here we track chirality evolution in colloidal tellurium nanocrystals spanning strong, alloy-tuned, and reduced shape chirality. As morphological chirality decreases, linear circular dichroism drops by roughly an order of magnitude. In contrast, polarization-resolved second-harmonic scattering retains clear handedness-dependent responses. Across six independent observables─the nonlinear g-factor (g NL ) and dual-circular polarization metrics ( DCP 1 and DCP 2 ) measured in forward and right-angled geometries─the signal reverses sign between enantiomorphs and remains well-resolved. The geometry dependence of these responses is consistent with interference between mirror symmetry-even and mirror symmetry-odd nonlinear tensor contributions. These results establish chiroptical second-harmonic scattering as a sensitive probe of weak structural asymmetry in nanocrystals exhibiting coupled shape and crystal chirality.