Chiral Materials: Progress, Applications, and Prospects

Abstract

Chirality is a universal phenomenon in molecular and biological systems, denoting an asymmetric configurational property where an object cannot be superimposed onto its mirror image by any kind of translation or rotation, which is ubiquitous on the scale from neutrinos to spiral galaxies. Chirality plays a very important role in the life system. Many biological molecules in the life body show chirality, such as the “codebook” of the earth's biological diversity‐DNA, nucleic acid, etc. Intriguingly, living organisms hierarchically consist of homochiral building blocks, for example, l‐amino acids and d‐sugars with unknown reason. When molecules with chirality interact with these chiral factors, only one conformation favors the positive development of life, that is, the chiral host environment can only selectively interact with chiral molecules of one of the conformations. The differences in chiral interactions are often manifested by chiral recognition, mutual matching, and interactions with chiral molecules, which means that the stereoselectivity of chiral molecules can produce changes in pharmacodynamics and pathology. Here, the latest investigations are summarized including the construction and applications of chiral materials based on natural small molecules as chiral source, natural biomacromolecules as chiral sources, and the material synthesized by design as a chiral source.

Multiomics Sequencing and AlphaFold2 Analysis of the Stereoselective Behavior of Mefentrifluconazole for Bioactivity Improvement and Risk Reduction

“…Elucidating the differences in the binding sites and modes of action between enantiomers and biomacromolecules is beneficial for understanding the molecular mechanism underlying the stereoselectivity of chiral compounds. − However, analysis of the 3D structure of biomacromolecules requires high-precision instruments, which significantly impedes its development . Advancements in the AlphaFold2 technology have effectively addressed the challenge of predicting protein 3D structures .…”

Lattice dynamics in chiral tellurium by linear and circularly polarized Raman spectroscopy: crystal orientation and handedness

“…Many examples can be found in organic molecules, where chirality is crucial for their functionality. 1–8 By contrast, few inorganic materials display intrinsically chiral crystal structures. However, those that do, such as α-quartz, 9 α-HgS 10 and trigonal selenium (Se) and tellurium (Te), 11 have led to the discovery of novel phenomena that can be exploited in optoelectronic and spintronic devices 10,12–18 and to the development of new synthesis protocols to obtain these materials.…”

Porphyrin-Based Hybrid Nanohelices: Cooperative Effect between Molecular and Supramolecular Chirality on Amplified Optical Activity

“…The design and synthesis of chiral materials of diverse types are continuously pursued for their use in various fields such as chiral induction, recognition, or amplification. Based on small chiral selectors of natural or synthetic origin, there has been important progress in recent years in the development of chiral inorganic materials, , which often display enhanced optical activities strictly related to their easily tunable morphology .…”