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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.

Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity

Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity

It is essential to understand the difference between chiral and achiral interactions and the implications thereof in optical activity and their applications. Just as our feet, which are chiral, interact uniquely with chiral objects, such as a pair of shoes, but identically with achiral socks, enantiomers of a molecule exhibit different properties only when they interact with other chiral media. An example of a significant implication from this facet is the phenomenon known as optical activity,...

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...

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...

Prochirality

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 29, 2025

Interfacial Molecular-level Structures of Polymers and Biomacromolecules Revealed via Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy

Interfacial Molecular-level Structures of Polymers and Biomacromolecules Revealed via Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy

Published on: August 13, 2019

Effect of Chiral Molecules on the Electron's Spin Wavefunction at Interfaces.

Supriya Ghosh¹, Suryakant Mishra², Eytan Avigad³

¹Chemistry Department , University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania 15260 , United States.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters

|February 5, 2020

Summary

Electron penetration into chiral molecules from ferromagnetic electrodes depends on magnetization and chirality, creating significant voltage changes. This spin-dependent charge transfer is key for chiral spintronics and magneto-electrochemistry.

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Last Updated: Dec 29, 2025

Interfacial Molecular-level Structures of Polymers and Biomacromolecules Revealed via Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy

Interfacial Molecular-level Structures of Polymers and Biomacromolecules Revealed via Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy

Published on: August 13, 2019

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Published on: May 27, 2018

Coulomb Explosion Imaging as a Tool to Distinguish Between Stereoisomers

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Published on: August 18, 2017

Area of Science:

Spintronics
Surface Science
Molecular Chirality

Background:

Ferromagnetic materials and chiral molecules interact at interfaces.
Understanding spin-dependent electron transport is crucial for advanced electronics.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate spin-dependent electron penetration from ferromagnetic electrodes into chiral molecules.
To explore the influence of magnetization and molecular chirality on electrostatic potential differences.

Main Methods:

Kelvin-probe measurements on ferromagnetic thin films coated with self-assembled monolayers of chiral molecules.
Studying enantiospecific responses based on magnetization strength, direction, and molecular properties.

Main Results:

Observed electrostatic potential differences up to 100 mV.
Demonstrated spin-dependent charge penetration driven by an oscillating electric field.
Showcased enantiospecific effects related to magnetization and molecular chirality.

Conclusions:

The chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect explains the observed phenomena.
Significant potential changes indicate importance for chiral spintronic devices and magneto-electrochemistry.