Field-Induced Diastereomers for Chiral Separation

A novel approach for the state-specific enantiomeric enrichment and the spatial separation of enantiomers is presented. Our scheme utilizes techniques from strong-field laser physics-specifically an optical centrifuge in conjunction with a static electric field-to create a chiral field with defined...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2019-12, Vol.123 (24), p.243202-243202, Article 243202
Main Authors: Yachmenev, Andrey, Onvlee, Jolijn, Zak, Emil, Owens, Alec, Küpper, Jochen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Computer simulation
Electric fields
Enantiomers
Propylene oxide
Rotational states
Separation
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Summary:A novel approach for the state-specific enantiomeric enrichment and the spatial separation of enantiomers is presented. Our scheme utilizes techniques from strong-field laser physics-specifically an optical centrifuge in conjunction with a static electric field-to create a chiral field with defined handedness. Molecular enantiomers experience unique rotational excitation dynamics, and this can be exploited to spatially separate the enantiomers using electrostatic deflection. Notably, the rotational-state-specific enantiomeric enhancement and its handedness are fully controllable. To explain these effects, the conceptual framework of field-induced diastereomers of a chiral molecule is introduced and computationally demonstrated through robust quantum-mechanical simulations on the prototypical chiral molecule propylene oxide (C_{3}H_{6}O), for which ensembles with an enantiomeric excess of up to 30% were obtained.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.243202