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Chirality

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...

Chirality in Nature

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.

Chirality at Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur

Chirality at Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur

Chirality is most prevalent in carbon-based tetrahedral compounds, but this important facet of molecular symmetry extends to sp3-hybridized nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur centers, including trivalent molecules with lone pairs. Here, the lone pair behaves as a functional group in addition to the other three substituents to form an analogous tetrahedral center that can be chiral.
A consequence of chirality is the need for enantiomeric resolution. While this is theoretically possible for all...

Molecules with Multiple Chiral Centers

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...

Directing Effect of Substituents: meta-Directing Groups

Directing Effect of Substituents: meta-Directing Groups

Substituents on the benzene ring that direct an incoming electrophile to undergo substitution at the meta position are called meta directors. All meta directors either have a positive charge on the atom directly bonded to the ring or a partial positive charge. These groups function by withdrawing electrons from the ring through inductive and resonance effects. Consider the carbocation intermediates formed upon the addition of an electrophile on nitrobenzene at the...

meta-Directing Deactivators: –NO2, –CN, –CHO, –&NoBreak;CO2R, –COR, –CO2H

meta-Directing Deactivators: –NO₂, –CN, –CHO, –⁠CO₂R, –COR, –CO₂H

All meta-directing substituents are deactivating groups. These substituents withdraw electrons from the aromatic ring, making the ring less reactive toward electrophilic substitution. For example, the nitration of nitrobenzene is 100,000 times slower than that of benzene because of the deactivating effect of the nitro group. The first step in an electrophilic aromatic substitution is the addition of an electrophile to form a resonance-stabilized carbocation. The energy diagrams for...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 10, 2026

A Micropatterning Assay for Measuring Cell Chirality

A Micropatterning Assay for Measuring Cell Chirality

Published on: March 11, 2022

High-efficiency chiral meta-lens.

Benedikt Groever¹, Noah A Rubin¹, J P Balthasar Mueller¹

¹John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Scientific Reports

|May 10, 2018

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study introduces a novel metasurface lens for simultaneous imaging of opposite circular polarizations. This breakthrough achieves independent focusing for both polarization states with high efficiency, overcoming previous limitations.

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Area of Science:

Optics and Photonics
Materials Science
Nanotechnology

Background:

Chiral lenses traditionally use geometric phase, limiting independent focusing of circular polarizations.
Previous designs faced a 50% efficiency trade-off when separating polarization states.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a compact metasurface lens for simultaneous and spatially separated imaging of opposite circular polarization states.
To overcome the efficiency limitations of geometric phase-based chiral lenses.

Main Methods:

Design and fabrication of a compact metasurface lens element.
Utilizing a novel approach beyond the traditional geometric phase for independent polarization control.
Demonstration of imaging at visible wavelengths.

Main Results:

Achieved simultaneous, spatially separated imaging of left and right circular polarizations.
Demonstrated independent focusing for both circular polarizations without a 50% efficiency loss.
Obtained polarization contrast greater than 20dB and efficiencies up to 70%.

Conclusions:

The developed metasurface lens offers a significant advancement in polarization-controlled imaging.
This technology enables high-efficiency, independent focusing of opposite circular polarizations.
The design paves the way for new applications in polarization-sensitive imaging and optical systems.