From achiral porphyrins to template-imprinted chiral aggregates and further. Self-replication of chiral memory from scratch.
The presence of 10-13 M of chiral clusters of aromatic amino acids addresses aggregation of opposite-charged achiral porphyrin towards the formation of smart chiral assemblies. The latter supramolecular complexes are able to self-propagate and transfer their chiral information with a 100% yield. The chiral bias occurs through a correlated sequence of induction, memory, and amplification of chirality that strongly recalls possible prebiotic scenarios.
Lauceri
Rosaria
R
Istituto per lo Studio delle Sostanze Naturali di Interesse Alimentare e Chimico Farmaceutico, CNR, Sezione di Catania, Catania, Italy.
Raudino
Antonio
A
Scolaro
Luigi Monsù
LM
Micali
Norberto
N
Purrello
Roberto
R
D002942:Circular Dichroism; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry*; D008665:Metalloporphyrins / Q000737:chemistry*; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000737:chemistry*; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000737:chemistry*; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013698:Templates, Genetic
C429764:5,10,15-tris(4-sulfonatophenyl)-20-phenylporphryin; D008665:Metalloporphyrins; D011166:Porphyrins; C078184:copper tetra(4-N-methylpyridyl)porphine; D010649:Phenylalanine; D003300:Copper