Chiral symmetry breaking during crystallization: complete chiral purity induced by nonlinear autocatalysis and recycling.
We report experimental results that show a large and symmetric population of D and L crystals moving into complete chiral purity, with one of the enantiomers completely disappearing. The results indicate (i) a new symmetry breaking process incompatible with the hypothesis of an initial single chiral phase or "mother crystal," (ii) that total symmetry breaking and complete chiral purity can be achieved from a system that initially includes both enantiomers, and (iii) that this is achieved through a nonlinear autocatalytic-recycling process.
Viedma
Cristobal
C
Departamento de Cristalografia y Mineralogia, Facultad de Geologia, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain. viedma@geo.ucm.es
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000737:chemistry; D002384:Catalysis; D002704:Chlorates / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization; D013237:Stereoisomerism
D000596:Amino Acids; D002241:Carbohydrates; D002704:Chlorates; C032706:sodium chlorate