Dendritic crystal growth, differential circular scattering, and the origin of biomolecular homochirality

Bart Kahr, John H. Freudenthal

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Phthalic acid rapidly crystallizing in thin aqueous films is deposited radially and rhythmically as dendritic banded spherulites that have heterochiral meso-textures in hemi-circles. The chiral fields differentially scatter left and right circularly polarized light. A scenario for chiral amplification and the origin of biomolecular homochirality is thus proposed that combines the influences of crystals and light.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)973-977
Number of pages5
JournalChirality
Volume20
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - 2008

Keywords

  • Biomolecular homochirality
  • Circularly polarized light
  • Dendritic crystals
  • Light scattering
  • Phthalic acid

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Catalysis
  • Pharmacology
  • Drug Discovery
  • Spectroscopy
  • Organic Chemistry

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