Interfacial chiral selection by bulk species.
A chiral selection process in a self-assembled soft monolayer of an achiral amphiphile as a consequence of its interaction with chiral species dissolved in the aqueous subphase, is reported. The extent of the chiral selection is statistically measured in terms of the enantiomorphic excess of self-assembled submillimeter domains endowed with well-defined orientational chirality that is unambiguously resolved using optical microscopy. Our results show that the emergence of chirality is mediated by electrostatic interactions and significantly enhanced by hydrophobic effects. This chiral chemical effect can be suppressed and even reversed by opposing a macroscopic physical influence, such as vortical stirring. This result gives evidence for the crucial role of hydrodynamic effects in supramolecular aggregation.
Departament de Química Física, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, Catalunya (Spain).
Hua
H
Dong
Jordi
J
Ignés-Mullol
Josep
J
Claret
Lourdes
L
Pérez
Aurora
A
Pinazo
Francesc
F
Sagués
D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D055585:Physical Phenomena; D055672:Static Electricity; D013237:Stereoisomerism
Langmuir monolayers; amino acids; chirality; supramolecular chemistry; surface chemistry