From helical to planar chirality by on-surface chemistry

Nat Chem. 2017 Mar;9(3):213-218. doi: 10.1038/nchem.2662. Epub 2016 Nov 21.

Abstract

The chirality of molecular structures is paramount in many phenomena, including enantioselective reactions, molecular self-assembly, biological processes and light or electron-spin polarization. Flat prochiral molecules, which are achiral in the gas phase or solution, can exhibit adsorption-induced chirality when deposited on surfaces. The whole array of such molecular adsorbates is naturally racemic as spontaneous global mirror-symmetry breaking is disfavoured. Here we demonstrate a chemical method of obtaining flat prochiral molecules adsorbed on the solid achiral surface in such a way that a specific adsorbate handedness globally dominates. An optically pure helical precursor is flattened in a cascade of on-surface reactions, which enables chirality transfer. The individual reaction products are identified by high-resolution scanning-probe microscopy. The ultimate formation of globally non-racemic assemblies of flat molecules through stereocontrolled on-surface synthesis allows for chirality to be expressed in as yet unexplored types of organic-inorganic chiral interfaces.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Associated data

  • PubChem-Substance/318480790
  • PubChem-Substance/318480787
  • PubChem-Substance/318480788
  • PubChem-Substance/318480789