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Related Concept Videos

Chirality02:25

Chirality

Chirality is a term that describes the lack of mirror symmetry in an object. In other words, chiral objects cannot be superposed on their mirror images. For example, our feet are chiral, as the mirror image of the left foot, the right foot, cannot be superposed on the left foot.
Chiral objects exhibit a sense of handedness when they interact with another chiral object. For example, our left foot can only fit in the left shoe and not in the right shoe. Achiral objects — objects that have...
Prochirality02:05

Prochirality

The concept of prochirality leads to the nomenclature of the individual faces of a molecule and plays a crucial role in the enantioselective reaction. It is a concept where two or more achiral molecules react to produce chiral products. A typical process is the reaction of an achiral ketone to generate a chiral alcohol. Here, the achiral reactant reacts with an achiral reducing agent, sodium borohydride, to generate an equimolar mixture of the chiral enantiomers of the product. For example, an...
Chirality in Nature02:30

Chirality in Nature

Chirality is the most intriguing yet essential facet of nature, governing life’s biochemical processes and precision. It can be observed from a snail shell pattern in a macroscopic world to an amino acid, the minutest building block of life. Most of the snails around the world have right-coiled shells because of the intrinsic chirality in their genes. All the amino acids present in the human body exist in an enantiomerically pure state, except for glycine - the sole achiral amino acid. The...
Molecules with Multiple Chiral Centers02:25

Molecules with Multiple Chiral Centers

Molecules that possess multiple chiral centers can afford a large number of stereoisomers. For instance, while some molecules like 2-butanol have one chiral center, defined as a tetrahedral carbon atom with four different substituents attached, several molecules like butane-2,3-diol have multiple chiral centers. A simple formula to predict the number of stereoisomers possible for a molecule with n chiral centers is 2n. However, there can be a lower number where some of the stereoisomers are...
Fischer Projections02:18

Fischer Projections

Learning to draw Fischer projections of molecules and understanding their relevance plays a crucial role in the visual depiction of organic molecules. A Fischer projection is a two-dimensional projection on a planar surface to simplify the three-dimensional wedge–dash representation of molecules. This is especially helpful in the case of molecules with multiple chiral centers that can be difficult to draw. Here, all the bonds of interest are represented as horizontal or vertical lines. While...
Stereoisomerism of Cyclic Compounds02:33

Stereoisomerism of Cyclic Compounds

In this lesson, we delve into the role of ring conformation and its stability, which determines the spatial arrangement and, consequently, the molecular symmetry and stereoisomerism of cyclic compounds. 1,2-Dimethylcyclohexane is used as a case study to evaluate the possible number of stereoisomers. Here, given the multiple (n = 2) chiral centers, there are 2n = 4 possible configurations that lack a plane of symmetry, as the ring skeleton exists in a non-planar chair conformation. In addition,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
06:26

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets

Published on: May 15, 2017

Two-dimensional chirality at liquid-solid interfaces.

Johannes A A W Elemans1, Inge De Cat, Hong Xu

  • 1Department of Chemistry, Division of Molecular and Nano Materials, and INPAC-Institute for Nanoscale Physics and Chemistry, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200-F, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.

Chemical Society Reviews
|March 27, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Chiral molecular patterns form at liquid-solid interfaces, observable with scanning tunneling microscopy. Both chiral and achiral molecules, including mixtures, can create these intricate surface structures.

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Probing the Structure and Dynamics of Interfacial Water with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy
10:28

Probing the Structure and Dynamics of Interfacial Water with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy

Published on: May 27, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets
06:26

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets

Published on: May 15, 2017

Probing the Structure and Dynamics of Interfacial Water with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy
10:28

Probing the Structure and Dynamics of Interfacial Water with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy

Published on: May 27, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Surface science
  • Supramolecular chemistry
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Chirality is crucial in molecular recognition and materials science.
  • Controlling molecular arrangement at interfaces is key for advanced applications.
  • Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) provides submolecular resolution of surface structures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the formation of chiral molecular patterns at the liquid-solid interface.
  • To highlight the role of both chiral and achiral molecules in pattern formation.
  • To discuss methods for inducing surface chirality.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) for submolecular imaging.
  • Analyzing self-assembly processes at the liquid-solid interface.
  • Investigating the behavior of chiral and achiral molecules in mixtures.

Main Results:

  • Chiral molecular patterns can be successfully formed by both chiral and achiral molecules.
  • The assembly of mixtures containing mirror-image molecules is a viable strategy for creating chiral patterns.
  • Non-standard approaches can induce chirality on surfaces using achiral systems.

Conclusions:

  • Submolecularly resolved chiral patterns are achievable at liquid-solid interfaces.
  • Diverse molecular species, including achiral ones, can contribute to surface chirality.
  • Exploring novel methods expands the possibilities for creating chiral surfaces.