Intrinsic bending force in anisotropic membranes made of chiral molecules

Abstract
A linear term linked to molecular chirality occurs in the bending energy of membranes with C2 or D2 symmetry. We find it to alternate in sign, depending on the direction of a cylindrical curvature, and discuss consequences for anisotropic solid membranes, tilted fluid bilayers, and ferroelectric smectic liquid crystals.