Showing papers on "Homochirality published in 2013"

Globally homochiral assembly of two-dimensional molecular networks triggered by co-absorbers

Abstract: Understanding the chirality induction and amplification processes, and the construction of globally homochiral surfaces, represent essential challenges in surface chirality studies Here we report the induction of global homochirality in two-dimensional enantiomorphous networks of achiral molecules via co-assembly with chiral co-absorbers The scanning tunnelling microscopy investigations and molecular mechanics simulations demonstrate that the point chirality of the co-absorbers transfers to organizational chirality of the assembly units via enantioselective supramolecular interactions, and is then hierarchically amplified to the global homochirality of two-dimensional networks The global homochirality of the network assembly shows nonlinear dependence on the enantiomeric excess of chiral co-absorber in the solution phase, demonstrating, for the first time, the validation of the 'majority rules' for the homochirality control of achiral molecules at the liquid/solid interface Such an induction and nonlinear chirality amplification effect promises a new approach towards two-dimensional homochirality control and may reveal important insights into asymmetric heterogeneous catalysis, chiral separation and chiral crystallization

Using Programmed Heating–Cooling Cycles with Racemization in Solution for Complete Symmetry Breaking of a Conglomerate Forming System

Abstract: A deracemization technique using periodic temperature fluctuations on a conglomerate forming system undergoing a swift racemization in solution is demonstrated. The method uses heating and cooling periods of the suspension in order to create cycles of partial dissolution of the crystal phase followed by crystal regrowth: this enables symmetry breaking in the solid phase. The technique is an effective, simple, and cheap operation, and can promote understanding of the effects of dissolution and recrystallization on chiral symmetry breaking in the solid phase. The heating period leads to the decrease of the size of crystals and the destruction of small crystals; the surviving crystals can then grow during the cooling period. A succession of such cycles allows the autocatalytic transformation from a racemic suspension into pure enantiomer, with an enantiomeric excess (ee) > 99% within a few days. The results demonstrate a possible mechanism for the emergence of homochirality of molecules of biological signifi...

Postclustering Dynamic Covalent Modification for Chirality Control and Chiral Sensing

Abstract: Cluster-based functional materials are appealing, because clusters are well-defined building units that can be rationally incorporated for the tuning of structures and properties. Postclustering modification (PCM) allows for tailoring properties through the structural modification of a cluster with preorganized funtional groups. By introducing aldehydes into a robust gold–silver cluster via a protection–deprotection process, we manage to synthesize a new cluster bearing six reactive sites, which are available for PCM through dynamic covalent imine bonds formation with chiral monoamines. Chirality is transferred from the amine to the gold–silver cluster. The homochirality of the resulted cluster has been confirmed by X-ray structural determination and CD spetroscopy. Intense CD signals make it practical for chiral recognition and ee value determination of chiral monoamines. The strategy of prefunctionalizing of cluster and the concept of PCM open a broader prospect for cluster design and applications.

Superenantioselective Chiral Surface Explosions

Abstract: Chiral inorganic materials predated life on Earth, and their enantiospecific surface chemistry may have played a role in the origins of biomolecular homochirality. However, enantiospecific differences in the interaction energies of chiral molecules with chiral surfaces are small and typically lead to modest enantioselectivities in adsorption, catalysis, and chemistry on chiral surfaces. To yield high enantioselectivities, small energy differences must be amplified by reaction mechanisms such as autocatalytic surface explosions which have nonlinear kinetics. Herein, we report the first observations of superenantiospecificity resulting from an autocatalytic surface explosion reaction of a chiral molecule on a naturally chiral surface. R,R- and S,S-tartaric acid decompose via a vacancy-mediated surface explosion mechanism on Cu single crystal surfaces. When coupled with surface chirality, this leads to decomposition rates that exhibit extraordinarily high enantiospecificity. On the enantiomorphs of naturally...

Chirality Transfer in 1D Self-Assemblies: Influence of H-Bonding vs Metal Coordination between Dicyano[7]helicene Enantiomers

Abstract: Chiral recognition as well as chirality transfer in supramolecular self-assembly and on-surface coordination is studied for the enantiopure 6,13-dicyano[7]helicene building block. It is remarkable that, with this helical molecule, both H-bonded chains and metal-coordinated chains can be formed on the same substrate, thereby allowing for a direct comparison of the chain bonding motifs and their effects on the self-assembly in experiment and theory. Conformational flexure and both adsorbate/adsorbent and intermolecular interactions can be identified as factors influencing the chiral recognition at the binding site. The observed H-bonded chains are chiral, however, the overall appearance of Cu-coordinated chains is no longer chiral. The study was performed via scanning tunneling microscopy, X-ray-photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. We show a significant influence of the molecular flexibility and the type of bonding motif on the chirality transfer in the 1D self-assembly.

Aligned molecules: chirality discrimination in photodissociation and in molecular dynamics

Abstract: Emergence of biochemical homochirality is an intriguing topic, and none of the proposed scenarios has encountered a unanimous consensus. Candidates for naturally occurring processes, which may originate chiral selection, involve interaction of matter with light and molecular collisions. We performed and report here: (1) simulations of photodissociation of an oriented chiral molecule by linearly polarized (achiral) light observing that the angular distribution of the photofragments is characteristic of each enantiomer and both differ from the racemic mixture; and (2) molecular dynamics simulations (elastic collisions of oriented hydrogen peroxide, one of the most simple chiral molecules, with Ne atom) demonstrating that the scattering and the recoil angles are specific of the enantiomeric form. The efficacy of non-chiral light (in the case of photodissociation) and of non-chiral projectile (in the case of collisions) is due to the molecular orientation, as an essential requirement to observe chiral effects. The results of the simulations, that we report in this article, provide the background for the perspective realization of experiments which go beyond the well-documented ones involving interaction of circularly polarized laser (chiral light) with the matter, specifically by making use of non-chiral, i.e. linearly polarized or unpolarized light sources, and also by obtaining chiral effects with no use at all of light, but simply inducing them by molecular collisions. The case of vortices is discussed in a companion paper.

Asymmetric autocatalysis triggered by oxygen isotopically chiral glycerin

Abstract: Chiral (S)- and (R)-18O-glycerin induces enantioselective addition of diisopropylzinc to pyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde, and the subsequent asymmetric autocatalysis affords (R)- and (S)-pyrimidyl alkanol with high enantiomeric excess, respectively.

A computational investigation of attrition-enhanced chiral symmetry breaking in conglomerate crystals

Abstract: Attrition-enhanced chiral symmetry breaking in crystals, also known as Viedma ripening, is a remarkable phenomenon from a variety of perspectives. By providing a direct route to solid-phase homochirality in a controllable manner, it is of inherent interest to those who study chiral symmetry-breaking/amplification mechanisms. When applied to intrinsically chiral molecules, Viedma ripening may have implications for the origin of biological homochirality, as well as applications in chiral drug resolution. Despite an abundance of research, the mechanistic details underlying this phenomenon have not been unambiguously elucidated. We employ a Monte Carlo algorithm to study this driven system, in order to gain further insights into the mechanisms capable of reproducing key experimental signatures. We provide a comprehensive numerical investigation of how the model parameters (attrition rate, liquid-phase racemization kinetics, and the relative rates of growth and dissolution kinetics) impact the system's overall behavior. It is shown that size-dependent crystal solubility alone is insufficient to reproduce most of the experimental signatures of Viedma ripening, and that some form of a solid-phase chiral feedback mechanism must be invoked in order to reproduce experimentally observed behavior. In this work, such feedback mechanisms can take the form of agglomeration, or of artificial modification of the size dependent growth kinetics.

Surface-Induced Diastereomeric Complex Formation of a Nucleoside at the Liquid/Solid Interface: Stereoselective Recognition and Preferential Adsorption

Abstract: With the aim of achieving surface-mediated enantioselective adsorption, the self-assembly of chiral oligo(p-phenylenevinylene) (OPV3T) with nucleosides is investigated at the liquid/solid interface by means of scanning tunneling microscopy and molecular modeling. OPV3T enantiomers form mirror related hexameric rosette patterns. The DNA nucleoside, thymidine, does not self-assemble into stable adlayers but coadsorbs with OPV3T on the surface, leading to a pattern transformation of OPV3T from rosettes to dimers, and a change in chiral expression as well. Diastereoselective recognition between OPV3T and thymidine enantiomers can be used to resolve thymidine enantiomers at an achiral surface with an OPV3T enantiomer as the resolving agent. The impact of molar ratio and concentration on the self-assembly and chiral resolution is systematically investigated. Because there is no interaction between OPV3T and thymidine in solution, the liquid/solid interface acts as the platform for the chiral resolution of thymidine enantiomers.

Biochirality : origins, evolution and molecular recognition

Abstract: Early History of the Recognition of Molecular Biochirality, by J Gal P Cintas - Synthesis and Chirality of Amino Acids Under Interstellar Conditions, by C Giri, F Goesmann, C Meinert A C Evans U J Meierhenrich - Chemical and Physical Models for the Emergence of Biological Homochirality, by J E Hein, D Gherase, Donna G Blackmond - Biomolecules at Interfaces: Chiral, Naturally, by A Gonzalez-Campo, D B Amabilino - Stochastic Mirror Symmetry Breaking: Theoretical Models and Simulation of Experiments, by C Blanco, D Hochberg- Self-Assembly of Dendritic Dipeptides as a Model of Chiral Selection in Primitive Biological Systems, by B M Rosen, C Roche, V Percec- Chirality and Protein Biosynthesis, by S Dutta Banik, N Nandi

Anisotropy Spectra for Enantiomeric Differentiation of Biomolecular Building Blocks

Abstract: All biopolymers are composed of homochiral building blocks, and both d-sugars and l-amino acids uniquely constitute life on Earth. These monomers were originally enantiomerically differentiated under prebiotic conditions. Particular progress has recently been made in support of the photochemical model for this differentiation: the interaction of circularly polarized light with racemic molecules is currently thought to have been the original source for life’s biological homochirality. The differential asymmetric photoreactivity of particular small molecules can be characterized by both circular dichroism and anisotropy spectroscopy. Anisotropy spectroscopy, a novel derivative of circular dichroism spectroscopy, records the anisotropy factor g = Δe/e as a function of the wavelength. Anisotropy spectroscopy promisingly affords the wavelength-dependent determination of the enantiomeric excess (ee) inducible into chiral organic molecules by photochemical irradiation with circularly polarized light. Anisotropy spectra of small molecules therefore provide unique means for characterizing the different photochemical behaviors between enantiomers upon exposure to various wavelengths of circularly polarized light. This chapter will: (1) present the theory and configuration of anisotropy spectroscopy; (2) explain experimentally recorded anisotropy spectra of selected chiral biomolecules such as amino acids; and (3) discuss the relevance of these spectra for the investigation of the origin of the molecular homochirality observed in living organisms. This review describes a new chiroptical technique that is of significance for advances in asymmetric photochemistry and that is also highly relevant for the European Space Agency Rosetta Mission, which will determine enantiomeric excesses (ees) in chiral organic molecules in cometary ices when it lands on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko in November 2014.

Homochiral crystallization of single-stranded helical coordination polymers: generated by the structure of auxiliary ligands or spontaneous symmetry breaking

Abstract: Homochiral crystallizations of single-stranded helical coordination polymers were constructed using the V-shaped bridging ligand dicyanamide (μ1,5-dca−) and chelate auxiliary ligands. The enantiomeric nature of 1 and 2 is directly induced by the chirality of the auxiliary ligands. Whereas, the homochirality feature for 3 stems from the spontaneous symmetry breaking in crystallization.

Spontaneous chiral resolution directed by symmetry restriction and π-π interaction

Abstract: In order to understand and rationally construct homochiral self-assembled structures from racemic molecules, two novel crystalline metal-organic frameworks with chiral cavities were developed. The homochirality of the layers in both MOFs was achieved by forming strong coordinate bonds between the C3-symmetric cyclotriveratrylene and Zn4O(CO2)6 cluster. By changing weak π-π interactions between organic building blocks, the achiral assembly of ZnCTV-1 was successfully transformed into a chiral assembly in ZnCTV-2. This study demonstrated a possible route for designing the synthesis of chiral MOF through weak interactions.

The Role of Carbohydrates at the Origin of Homochirality in Biosystems

Abstract: Pasteur has demonstrated that the chiral components in a racemic mixture can separate in homochiral crystals. But with a strong chiral discrimination the chiral components in a concentrated mixture can also phase separate into homochiral fluid domains, and the isomerization kinetics can then perform a symmetry breaking into one thermodynamical stable homochiral system. Glyceraldehyde has a sufficient chiral discrimination to perform such a symmetry breaking. The requirement of a high concentration of the chiral reactant(s) in an aqueous solution in order to perform and maintain homochirality; the appearance of phosphorylation of almost all carbohydrates in the central machinery of life; the basic ideas that the biochemistry and the glycolysis and gluconeogenesis contain the trace of the biochemical evolution, all point in the direction of that homochirality was obtained just after- or at a phosphorylation of the very first products of the formose reaction, at high concentrations of the reactants in phosphate rich compartments in submarine hydrothermal vents. A racemic solution of D,L-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate could be the template for obtaining homochiral D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate(aq) as well as L-amino acids.

Deracemization of Amino Acids by Partial Sublimation and via Homochiral Self-Organization

Abstract: Deracemization of a 50/50 mixture of enantiomers of aliphatic amino acids (Ala, Leu, Pro, Val) can be achieved by a simple sublimation of a pre-solubilized solid mixture of the racemates with a huge amount of a less-volatile optically active amino acid (Asn, Asp, Glu, Ser, Thr). The choice of chirality correlates with the handedness of the enantiopure amino acids—Asn, Asp, Glu, Ser, and Thr. The deracemization, enantioenrichment and enantiodepletion observed in these experiments clearly demonstrate the preferential homochiral interactions and a tendency of natural amino acids to homochiral self-organization. These data may contribute toward an ultimate understanding of the pathways by which prebiological homochirality might have emerged.

Spontaneously amplified homochiral organic–inorganic nano-helix complexes via self-proliferation

Abstract: Most spiral coiled biomaterials in nature, such as gastropod shells, are homochiral, and the favoured chiral feature can be precisely inherited. This inspired us that selected material structures, including chirality, could be specifically replicated into the self-similar populations; however, a physicochemical understanding of the material-based heritage is unknown. We study the homochirality by using calcium phosphate mineralization in the presence of racemic amphiphilic molecules and biological protein. The organic–inorganic hybrid materials with spiral coiling characteristics are produced at the nanoscale. The resulted helixes are chiral with the left- and right-handed characteristics, which are agglomerated hierarchically to from clusters and networks. It is interesting that each cluster or network is homochiral so that the enantiomorphs can be separated readily. Actually, each homochiral architecture is evolved from an original chiral helix, demonstrating the heritage of the matrix chirality during the material proliferation under a racemic condition. By using the Ginzburg–Landaue expression we find that the chiral recognition in the organic–inorganic hybrid formation may be determined by a spontaneous chiral separation and immobilization of asymmetric amphiphilic molecules on the mineral surface, which transferred the structural information from the mother matrix to the descendants by an energetic control. This study shows how biomolecules guide the selective amplification of chiral materials via spontaneous self-replication. Such a strategy can be applied generally in the design and production of artificial materials with self-similar structure characteristics.

Electron spin and the origin of Bio-homochirality I. Extant enzymatic reaction model

Abstract: In this paper, I tentatively put forward a new hypothesis that the emergence of a single chiral form of biomolecules in living organisms is specifically determined by the electron spin state during their enzyme-catalyzed synthesis processes. Specifically speaking, the electrons released from the coenzyme NAD(P)H of amino acid synthase are heterogeneous in spin states; however, when they pass through the chiral alpha-helix structure of the enzymes to the site of amino acid synthesis at the other end of the helix, their spin states are filtered and polarized, producing only spin up electrons; once the spin-polarized electrons participate in the reductive reaction between alpha-oxo acid and ammonia, only L-amino acids are formed according to the Pauli exclusion principle.

Isoleucine as a possible bridge between exogenous delivery and terrestrial enhancement of homochirality.

Abstract: We report a highly enantioselective oligomerization of isoleucine stereomers in the salt-induced peptide formation reaction under plausibly prebiotic earth conditions. Up to 6.5-fold superiority in reactivity of l-isoleucine was observed, compared to its d-enantiomer, after 14 evaporation cycles in the presence of Cu2+ and NaCl. Since isoleucine is among the proteinogenic amino acids that were found enantioenriched in meteorites, this present work may further correlate the extraterrestrial delivery and endogenous production of biological homochirality by virtue of a protein constituent rather than the rarely occurring α-methylated amino acids.

“Absolute” Asymmetric Polymerization within Crystalline Architectures: Relevance to the Origin of Homochirality

Abstract: The sections in this article are Introduction “Through-Space” Asymmetric Polymerization in Inclusion Complexes and Liquid Crystals Isotactic Oligomers Generated within Monolayers at the Air–Water Interface “Absolute” Asymmetric Polymerization in 3-D Crystals The Planning and Materialization of an “Absolute” Asymmetric Synthesis of Polymers Attempted Amplification of Homochirality Generation of Isotactic Oligopeptides via Polymerization in Racemic Crystals (RS)–PheNCA (RS)-ValNCA and (RS)-LeuNCA Isotactic Oligopeptides from the Polymerization of Racemic ValNCA or LeuNCA in Aqueous Solution Racemic β-Sheets in the Polymerization of α-Amino-Acids in Aqueous Solutions: Homochiral Oligopeptides and Copeptides via the “Ehler–Orgel” Reaction Isotactic Oligopeptides from Racemic Thioesters of DL-Leu and DL-Val Conclusions Keywords: asymmetric polymerization; crystal engineering; solid-state chemistry; inclusion complexes; racemic β-sheets; origins of homochirality

Aligned molecules: chirality discrimination in photodissociation and in molecular dynamics

Abstract: Emergence of biochemical homochirality is an intriguing topic, and none of the proposed scenarios has encountered a unanimous consensus. Candidates for natu- rally occurring processes, which may originate chiral selection, involve interaction of matter with light and molecular collisions. We performed and report here: (1) simulations of photodissociation of an oriented chiral molecule by linearly polarized (achiral) light observing that the angular distribution of the photofragments is charac- teristic of each enantiomer and both differ from the racemic mixture; and (2) molecular dynamics simulations (elastic collisions of oriented hydrogen peroxide, one of the most simple chiral molecules, with Ne atom) demonstrat- ing that the scattering and the recoil angles are specific of the enantiomeric form. The efficacy of non-chiral light (in the case of photodissociation) and of non-chiral projectile (in the case of collisions) is due to the molecular orienta- tion, as an essential requirement to observe chiral effects. The results of the simulations, that we report in this article, provide the background for the perspective realization of experiments which go beyond the well-documented ones involving interaction of circularly polarized laser (chiral light) with the matter, specifically by making use of non- chiral, i.e. linearly polarized or unpolarized light sources, and also by obtaining chiral effects with no use at all of light, but simply inducing them by molecular collisions. The case of vortices is discussed in a companion paper.

Asymmetric Autocatalysis Triggered by Chiral Crystals Formed from Achiral Compounds and Chiral Isotopomers

Abstract: Asymmetric autocatalysis with amplification of enantiomeric excess is found in the enantioselective addition of diisopropylzinc to pyrimidine-5-carbaldehyde using pyrimidyl alkanol as an asymmetric autocatalyst. Asymmetric autocatalysis has been employed as a method for clarifying the origin of homochirality. Circularly polarized light, inorganic chiral crystals and statistical fluctuation of enantiomeric imbalance act as chiral initiators in asymmetric autocatalysis to afford highly enantioenriched products. We have investigated asymmetric autocatalysis using chiral crystals formed from achiral and racemic compounds as an origin of chirality. Absolute control of the crystal chirality of cytosine was achieved by the removal of crystal water. Enantioselective carbon-carbon bond formation at the enantiotopic crystal face of aldehydes was established using diisopropylzinc vapor. In addition, asymmetric autocatalysis triggered by chiral compounds arising from H, C and O isotope substitution has been achieved.

Spontaneous chiral resolution directed by symmetry restriction and p-p

Abstract: In order to understand and rationally construct homochiral self-assembled structures from racemic molecules, two novel crystalline metal-organic frameworks with chiral cavities were developed. The homochirality of the layers in both MOFs was achieved by forming strong coordinate bonds between the C3-symmetric cyclotriveratrylene and Zn4O(CO2)6 cluster. By changing weak p-p interactions between organic building blocks, the achiral assembly of ZnCTV-1 was successfully transformed into a chiral assembly in ZnCTV-2. This study demonstrated a possible route for designing the synthesis of chiral MOF through weak interactions.