Enantiomeric Excess-Tuned 2D Structural Transition: From Heterochiral to Homochiral Supramolecular Assemblies.
Spontaneous resolution of enantiomers is an intriguing and important phenomenon in surface chirality studies. Herein, we report on a two-dimensional (2D) structural transition from the heterochiral to homochiral assembly tuned by changing the enantiomeric excess (ee) of enantiomers in the solution phase. Enantiomers cocrystallize as racemates on the surface when the ee of the R-enantiomer (or S-enantiomer) remains below a critical value, whereas chiral segregation is achieved, and globally homochiral surfaces composed of exclusively one enantiomer are obtained as the critical ee is exceeded. The heterochiral-homochiral transition is ascribed to the formation of energetically unfavored homochiral molecular dimers under the control of the majority-rules principle at high ee values. Such results present an intriguing phenomenon in chiral ordering at surfaces, promising a new enlightenment toward understanding chiral resolution and the evolution of chirality.
Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) , Beijing 100190, P.R. China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, P.R. China.
Shu-Ying
SY
Li
Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) , Beijing 100190, P.R. China.
Ting
T
Chen
Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) , Beijing 100190, P.R. China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, P.R. China.
Lin
L
Wang
Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) , Beijing 100190, P.R. China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, P.R. China.
Bing
B
Sun
Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) , Beijing 100190, P.R. China.
Dong
D
Wang
Key Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology and Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) , Beijing 100190, P.R. China.
Li-Jun
LJ
Wan