title: Chiral self-sorting and amplification in isotropic liquids of achiral molecules.
abstract: According to our present knowledge, the spontaneous resolution of racemic mixtures of chiral molecules or chiral conformers of achiral molecules into macroscopic chiral superstructures requires the confinement of these molecules in a crystal lattice, on surfaces or in other well-ordered assemblies. Herein we provide the first experimental evidence that mirror-symmetry breaking can also take place at a liquid-liquid phase transition in isotropic liquids of achiral molecules, even at relatively high temperatures around 200 °C. It is proposed that cooperative segregation of enantiomorphic molecular conformations gives rise to a conglomerate of two chiral and immiscible liquids. In these liquid conglomerates a strong chiral amplification was observed, which led to degeneracy from a stochastic distribution and eventually provided uniform chirality. We anticipate that this work will contribute to the understanding of symmetry breaking in soft matter and provide a new tool for the identification of chirality traces, and possibly affect the discussion of the emergence of chirality in prebiotic systems.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, D-06120 Halle/Saale, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dressel
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, D-06120 Halle/Saale, Germany.
authors.forename: Tino
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Reppe
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, D-06120 Halle/Saale, Germany.
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prehm
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, D-06120 Halle/Saale, Germany.
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.identifier: 000000031994221X
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brautzsch
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, D-06120 Halle/Saale, Germany.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tschierske
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000737:chemistry; D019277:Entropy; D006358:Hot Temperature; D056004:Molecular Dynamics Simulation; D044367:Phase Transition; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000737:chemistry; D044366:Transition Temperature
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D011108:Polymers; D013876:Thiophenes