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Heterogeneous Interactions Promote Crystallization and Spontaneous Resolution of Chiral Molecules.
John E Carpenter1, Michael Grünwald1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, United States.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|May 13, 2020
Summary
Predicting chiral molecule crystallization is challenging. Molecular simulations reveal that diverse molecular interactions promote crystallization and spontaneous resolution of racemic mixtures by influencing competing polymorphs.
Area of Science:
- Chemical Physics
- Materials Science
- Computational Chemistry
Background:
- Predicting the crystallization of chiral molecules from solution presents a significant challenge in chemical sciences.
- Understanding crystallization behavior is crucial for controlling solid-state properties and developing new materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the crystallization behavior of chiral molecules using molecular dynamics simulations.
- To analyze the thermodynamic landscape of polymorphs and identify factors governing crystallization ease.
- To explore the role of molecular shape and interactions in determining crystallization outcomes, including racemic and enantiopure crystal formation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized molecular dynamics computer simulations for coarse-grained models of chiral molecules.
- Employed efficient algorithms for shape packing to enumerate millions of low-energy crystal structures.
- Analyzed the thermodynamic landscape of polymorphs to understand crystallization drivers.
Main Results:
- Simulations successfully reproduced experimental crystallization behaviors of real chiral molecules, including racemic and enantiopure crystals, and amorphous solids.
- The ease of crystallization is strongly correlated with the number of competing low-free-energy polymorphs.
- Heterogeneous molecular interactions promote crystallization and favor spontaneous resolution of racemic mixtures.
Conclusions:
- The number of competing polymorphs, influenced by molecular interactions, dictates crystallization outcomes.
- Strongly heterogeneous interactions enhance crystallization and spontaneous resolution.
- Findings provide a rational basis for designing molecules and experimental conditions for targeted crystallization.
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