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Racemic Mixtures and the Resolution of Enantiomers

Racemic Mixtures and the Resolution of Enantiomers

A racemic mixture, or racemate, is an equimolar mixture of enantiomers of a molecule that can be separated using their unique interaction with chiral molecules or media. Racemic mixtures are denoted by the (±)- prefix. This ‘optical rotation descriptor’ applies to the whole solution of a racemic mixture rather than a specific stereoisomer. Enantiomers typically have the same physical and chemical properties. Hence, they are not easily separable. However, enantiomers can exhibit...

Properties of Enantiomers and Optical Activity

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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,...

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Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Characterization of Full Set Material Constants and Their Temperature Dependence for Piezoelectric Materials Using Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy

Characterization of Full Set Material Constants and Their Temperature Dependence for Piezoelectric Materials Using Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy

Published on: April 27, 2016

Predicting and Rationalizing Piezoelectricity in Racemic Bioorganic Molecular Crystals.

Shubham Vishnoi¹, Sarah Guerin^1,2

¹Department of Chemical Sciences, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.

Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)

|March 23, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Racemic crystals, typically lacking polarity, surprisingly exhibit significant piezoelectricity. This study reveals bioorganic racemic systems as promising, sustainable materials for next-generation piezoelectric devices.

Keywords:

bioorganic materials density functional theory (DFT)lead‐free electromechanical materials racemic crystals sustainable piezoelectrics

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Crystallography
Solid-State Physics

Background:

Racemic crystals are generally assumed to lack polar functionality and favor centrosymmetric packing.
The piezoelectric properties of bioorganic racemic systems remain largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

To computationally investigate the potential of bioorganic racemic systems for piezoelectric applications.
To challenge conventional assumptions about the limitations of racemic crystal packing.

Main Methods:

Broad computational exploration using density functional theory (DFT) calculations.
Modeling of crystal structures to assess symmetry and electrical polarization.
Evaluation of piezoelectric strain response, dielectric constants, and mechanical flexibility.

Main Results:

Certain bioorganic racemic systems exhibit significant longitudinal piezoelectric responses, comparable to established single-crystal materials.
Top-performing stable racemic crystals show piezoelectric strain response up to 28 pC/N, exceeding DL-alanine.
Six studied systems demonstrated piezoelectric strain coefficients over 10 pC/N, with low dielectric constants (<5) and high flexibility.

Conclusions:

Bioorganic racemic crystals present a viable, bio-friendly platform for soft, sustainable, and lead-free piezoelectric devices.
These findings overturn traditional views on racemic crystal limitations, highlighting their potential for advanced piezoelectric applications.
The studied racemic molecular systems offer efficient and environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional inorganic piezoelectric materials.