Exact and Ubiquitous Condition for Solid-State Deracemization in Vitro and in Nature

Area of Science:

• Chirality and Crystallization
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Solid-state deracemization amplifies enantiomeric excess in chiral compound suspensions.
• The underlying mechanism governing this process has remained largely unexplained.
• Conglomerate-forming chiral compounds are key to this phenomenon.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the fundamental mechanism driving solid-state deracemization.
• To establish a universally applicable condition for deracemization.
• To validate the findings through theoretical modeling and experimental evidence.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel population-based model for deracemization.
• Utilizing temperature cycling as a perturbation method.
• Conducting theoretical analysis and experimental validation.

Main Results:

• Identified crystal dissolution rate exceeding crystal growth rate as the critical condition for deracemization.
• Demonstrated the applicability of this condition across various temperature cycles and fluctuations.
• Confirmed the universality of this principle in explaining deracemization phenomena.

Conclusions:

• Solid-state deracemization is governed by the asymmetry between dissolution and growth kinetics.
• This principle provides a robust explanation for the widespread occurrence of deracemization.
• The findings support solid-state deracemization as a viable method for producing enantiopure compounds and understanding natural homochirality.