title: Sugar-assisted kinetic resolution of amino acids and amplification of enantiomeric excess of organic molecules.
abstract: The origins of biological homochirality have intrigued researchers since Pasteur's discovery of the optical activity of biomolecules. Herein, we propose and demonstrate a novel alternative for the evolution of homochirality that is not based on autocatalysis and forges a direct relationship between the chirality of sugars and amino acids. This process provides a mechanism in which a racemic mixture of an amino acid can catalyze the formation of an optically active organic molecule in the presence of a sugar product of low enantiomeric excess.
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden. acordova@organ.su.se
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Córdova
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sundén
authors.forename: Yongmei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ibrahem
authors.forename: Weibiao
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Engqvist
mesh_terms: D000438:Alcohols / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D000447:Aldehydes / Q000737:chemistry*; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D011392:Proline / Q000737:chemistry; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D000447:Aldehydes; D000596:Amino Acids; D002241:Carbohydrates; D011392:Proline