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Updated: May 23, 2026

In Situ SIMS and IR Spectroscopy of Well-defined Surfaces Prepared by Soft Landing of Mass-selected Ions
Published on: June 16, 2014
Chiral selection on inorganic crystalline surfaces
Robert M Hazen1, David S Sholl
1Carnegie Institution of Washington and NASA Astrobiology Institute, 5251 Broad Branch Road NW, Washington DC 20015, USA. r.hazen@gl.ciw.edu
Abstract:
From synthetic drugs to biodegradable plastics to the origin of life, the chiral selection of molecules presents both daunting challenges and significant opportunities in materials science. Among the most promising, yet little explored, avenues for chiral molecular discrimination is adsorption on chiral crystalline surfaces - periodic environments that can select, concentrate and possibly even organize molecules into polymers and other macromolecular structures. Here we review experimental and theoretical approaches to chiral selection on inorganic crystalline surfaces - research that is poised to open this new frontier in understanding and exploiting surface-molecule interactions.
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