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Combining Microfluidics and Microrheology to Determine Rheological Properties of Soft Matter during Repeated Phase Transitions
Published on: April 19, 2018
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Fluid-fluid phase transitions in a chiral molecular model.
Yiming Wang1, Frank H Stillinger2, Pablo G Debenedetti1
1Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA.
The Journal of Chemical Physics
|September 1, 2022
Summary
Molecular chirality is key to life and drug development. This study reveals how chiral molecules transition between achiral and chiral phases, offering insights into symmetry breaking and phase behavior.
Area of Science:
- Chemical Physics
- Molecular Modeling
- Thermodynamics
Background:
- Molecular chirality is fundamental to life and pharmaceutical synthesis.
- Understanding chiral symmetry breaking is crucial for drug design and origins of life research.
- Fluid-fluid phase transitions in chiral systems are complex and require advanced simulation techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate fluid-fluid phase transitions in a flexible chiral molecular model.
- Explore symmetry breaking phenomena in molecular systems.
- Provide thermodynamic and kinetic insights into chiral phase behavior.
Main Methods:
- Molecular dynamics simulations were employed.
- A flexible three-dimensional four-site chiral molecular model was utilized.
- Bias was introduced to favor homochiral versus heterochiral interactions.
Main Results:
- The system transitioned from an achiral phase to a chiral phase.
- The chiral phase exhibited interconversion between L-rich and D-rich states.
- A density-dependent critical locus and a vapor-liquid coexistence region were identified.
Conclusions:
- The study provides thermodynamic and kinetic insights into many-body chiral symmetry breaking.
- The findings contribute to understanding phase transitions in chiral molecular systems.
- Results have implications for pharmaceutical manufacturing and fundamental chemical processes.
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