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Condensation and asymmetric amplification of chirality in achiral molecules adsorbed on an achiral surface

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Listed:
  • Huiru Liu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Heping Li

    (Beijing University of Chemical Technology)

  • Yu He

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Peng Cheng

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yi-Qi Zhang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Baojie Feng

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Hui Li

    (Beijing University of Chemical Technology)

  • Kehui Wu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory)

  • Lan Chen

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory)

Abstract

The origin of homochirality in nature is an important but open question. Here, we demonstrate a simple organizational chiral system constructed by achiral carbon monoxide (CO) molecules adsorbed on an achiral Au(111) substrate. Combining scanning tunneling microscope (STM) measurements with density-functional-theory (DFT) calculations, two dissymmetric cluster phases consisting of chiral CO heptamers are revealed. By applied high bias voltage, the stable racemic cluster phase can be transformed into a metastable uniform phase consisting of CO monomers. Further, during the recondensation of a cluster phase after lowering down bias voltage, an enantiomeric excess and its chiral amplification occur, resulting in a homochirality. Such asymmetry amplification is found to be both kinetically feasible and thermodynamically favorable. Our observations provide insight into the physicochemical origin of homochirality through surface adsorption and suggest a general phenomenon that can influence enantioselective chemical processes such as chiral separations and heterogeneous asymmetric catalysis.

Suggested Citation

  • Huiru Liu & Heping Li & Yu He & Peng Cheng & Yi-Qi Zhang & Baojie Feng & Hui Li & Kehui Wu & Lan Chen, 2023. "Condensation and asymmetric amplification of chirality in achiral molecules adsorbed on an achiral surface," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-37904-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37904-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jinbo Peng & Jing Guo & Prokop Hapala & Duanyun Cao & Runze Ma & Bowei Cheng & Limei Xu & Martin Ondráček & Pavel Jelínek & Enge Wang & Ying Jiang, 2018. "Weakly perturbative imaging of interfacial water with submolecular resolution by atomic force microscopy," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-7, December.
    2. Martin Klussmann & Hiroshi Iwamura & Suju P. Mathew & David H. Wells & Urvish Pandya & Alan Armstrong & Donna G. Blackmond, 2006. "Thermodynamic control of asymmetric amplification in amino acid catalysis," Nature, Nature, vol. 441(7093), pages 621-623, June.
    3. Dmitri E. Kharzeev & Yuta Kikuchi & René Meyer, 2018. "Chiral magnetic effect without chirality source in asymmetric Weyl semimetals," The European Physical Journal B: Condensed Matter and Complex Systems, Springer;EDP Sciences, vol. 91(5), pages 1-13, May.
    4. Hai-Long Qian & Cheng-Xiong Yang & Xiu-Ping Yan, 2016. "Bottom-up synthesis of chiral covalent organic frameworks and their bound capillaries for chiral separation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-7, November.
    5. Wenbin Li & Longjuan Kong & Baojie Feng & Huixia Fu & Hui Li & Xiao Cheng Zeng & Kehui Wu & Lan Chen, 2018. "Abnormal phase transition between two-dimensional high-density liquid crystal and low-density crystalline solid phases," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-6, December.
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