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Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Polarization-Sensitive Two-Photon Microscopy for a Label-Free Amyloid Structural Characterization
Published on: September 8, 2023
Complete chiral symmetry breaking of an amino acid derivative directed by circularly polarized light
Wim L Noorduin1, Arno A C Bode, Maarten van der Meijden
1Radboud University Nijmegen, Solid State Chemistry, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Circularly polarized light (CPL) emitted from star-forming regions is an attractive candidate as a cause of single chirality in nature. It has remained difficult, however, to translate the relatively small chemical effects observed on irradiation of molecular systems with CPL into high enantiomeric excesses. Here we demonstrate that irradiation of a racemic amino acid derivative with CPL leads to a small amount of chiral induction that can be amplified readily to give an enantiopure solid phase. A racemate composed of equal amounts of left- and right-handed crystals in contact with the irradiated solution is converted completely into crystals of single-handedness through abrasive grinding when racemization is effected in the solution. The rotation sense of the CPL fully determines the handedness of the final solid state. These findings illustrate the potential effectiveness of CPL in the control of molecular asymmetry, which is relevant for the origin of the single chirality inherent to many biological molecules.
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