Enantioselectivity switch in chiral crystallization using optical trapping with gold nanoparticles

• Published in: Cell reports physical science Vol. 5; no. 12; p. 102310
• Main Authors: Su, Hao-Tse, Niinomi, Hiromasa, Cheng, An-Chieh, Tanaka, Yoshito Y., Sasaki, Keiji, Sugiyama, Teruki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 18.12.2024
• Subjects: chiral crystallization; circularly polarized light; enantioselectivity; gold nanoparticles; helical optical force; optical trapping; plasmonic heating; spin-orbit transfer; enantioselectivity; helical optical force; optical trapping; gold nanoparticles; plasmonic heating; chiral crystallization; circularly polarized light; spin-orbit transfer
• ISSN: 2666-3864; 2666-3864
• DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102310

The origin of homochirality in biomolecules has been a subject of scientific inquiry since the pioneering work of Pasteur in the 19th century. Understanding and controlling chirality are not only crucial for unraveling this fundamental mystery but also essential for developing enantioselective synthesis and separation techniques. While circularly polarized light (CPL) has shown the potential to influence chirality, achieving high enantiomeric excess has remained elusive. Here, we report the demonstration of an enantioselectivity switch in NaClO3 chiral crystallization. Remarkably, this switch is achieved simply by altering the size of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) under optical trapping with CPL. We further achieve a crystal enantiomeric excess of up to 37%, highlighting the effectiveness of this approach. These findings underscore the intricate interplay of optical forces, spin-orbit interactions, and plasmonic heating in chiral crystallization, offering an approach to light-driven chiral synthesis. [Display omitted] •Enantioselectivity switching in NaClO3 chiral crystallization is achieved•Enantioselectivity depends on the size of AuNPs under circularly polarized light•Crystal enantiomeric excess is achieved up to 37% using gold nanoparticles•The findings offer a method for controlling chirality through light Su et al. demonstrate an enantioselectivity switch in sodium chlorate chiral crystallization using circularly polarized light and gold nanoparticles. By varying nanoparticle size, they actively control crystal handedness, providing new insights into chiral crystallization and potential applications in enantioselective synthesis.