Search for extraterrestrial enantioenrichment by using chemical microsensors.
The use of enantioselective chemical microsensors is proposed for the search of extraterrestrial homochirality in space. The already established enantiomer-discrimination-capability of chemical sensors and the feasibility of quantitatively determining the enantiomeric composition of a target analyte are demonstrated. The benefits of applying modern microsensor technology are presented followed by some concepts and scenarios including how chemical microsensors could be used in space.
Hierlemann
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Physical Electronics Laboratory, Institute of Quantum Electronics, ETH Hönggerberg, Zürich, Switzerland. hierlema@iqe.phys.ethz.ch
Baltes
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Schurig
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