Surface Chirality Influences Molecular Rotation upon Desorption

Chiral surfaces offer great potential as a medium for enantioselective synthesis or separation, yet their dynamic enantiospecific interactions with adsorbates are not well understood. Here, the influence of chiral surfaces on the molecular rotations of desorbing molecules is investigated. Formic acid desorption from Cu {531} and Cu{110} serve as model systems for desorption processes of an achiral adsorbate from a chiral and an achiral surface. Our first-principles molecular dynamics study reveals a much larger and more directed angular momentum for molecules desorbing from the chiral surface and a clear preference for one sense of rotation. This result provides new insight into desorption and adsorption processes and propensities on chiral surfaces.

Automated summary

The research reveals that molecules desorbing from chiral surfaces have a larger and more directed angular momentum, showing a clear preference for one sense of rotation. This provides new insight into the desorption and adsorption processes on chiral surfaces.