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Chiral Autocatalysis and Mirror Symmetry Breaking

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Abstract

Highly enantioselective production of chiral compounds by chiral catalysis is one of the most challenging forms of catalytic selectivity. In this perspective, we argue by examples that the key to achieving high enantioselectivity lies in processes with non-linear kinetics or equilibria that effectively amplify small differences in enantiospecific energetics. Examples of such processes have been uncovered over the past decade and include autocatalysis, surface explosion reactions, stirring or grinding of crystallites, and cooperative self-assembly.

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(reproduced with permission from ref. [42], Ⓒ Wiley & Sons.)

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(reproduced with permission from ref. [44], Ⓒ ACS Publ.)

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(reproduced with permission from ref. [44], Ⓒ ACS Publ.)

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Acknowledgements

AJG acknowledges support from the US Dept. of Energy under Grant No. DE-SC0008703. Support by the Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaften (grants # 200020_163296, 200021_152559, CRSII5_173720) is gratefully acknowledged. KHE thanks Jack Dunitz, Bart Kahr and Meir Lahav for fruitful discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Andrew J. Gellman

  2. Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland

    Karl-Heinz Ernst

  3. Department of Chemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland

    Karl-Heinz Ernst

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  1. Andrew J. Gellman
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Correspondence to Andrew J. Gellman or Karl-Heinz Ernst.

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Gellman, A.J., Ernst, KH. Chiral Autocatalysis and Mirror Symmetry Breaking. Catal Lett 148, 1610–1621 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10562-018-2380-x

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