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Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Coulomb Explosion Imaging as a Tool to Distinguish Between Stereoisomers
Published on: August 18, 2017
SERS chiral recognition and quantification of enantiomers through cyclodextrin supramolecular complexation
Sara Abalde-Cela1, José M Hermida-Ramón, Pablo Contreras-Carballada
1Departamento de Química Física and Unidad Asociada CSIC, Universidade de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain.
Abstract:
We introduce here a simple approach in which a cyclodextrin, functionalized with thiols in the narrower rim, is assembled onto the silver surface of a SERS platform composed of polystyrene beads coated with silver nanoparticles. Trapping properties of the fabricated sensor are demonstrated through the retention of different enantiomers (R,R or/and S,S) of hydrobenzoin (HBZ), a molecule that has not been reported before in SERS because it has no affinity for coinage metal surfaces. Further, selective recognition of each enantiomer and semiquantification of its proportion in a racemic mixture are provided by the analysis of the SERS spectra of the HBZ-cyclodextrin complex, in full agreement with the surface selection rules.
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