Physics

Dipole

Organic chemistry

Magnetization

Stereochemistry

Redistribution (election)

Ferromagnetism

Politics

Magnetic field

Chirality (physics)

Exchange interaction

Political science

Physical chemistry

Chemical physics

Nambu–Jona-Lasinio model

Chemistry

Polarization (electrochemistry)

Condensed matter physics

Chiral symmetry

Molecule

Quantum mechanics

Enantiomer

Quark

Science

It is commonly assumed that recognition and discrimination of chirality, both in nature and in artificial systems, depend solely on spatial effects. However, recent studies have suggested that charge redistribution in chiral molecules manifests an enantiospecific preference in electron spin orientation. We therefore reasoned that the induced spin polarization may affect enantiorecognition through exchange interactions. Here we show experimentally that the interaction of chiral molecules with a perpendicularly magnetized substrate is enantiospecific. Thus, one enantiomer adsorbs preferentially when the magnetic dipole is pointing up, whereas the other adsorbs faster for the opposite alignment of the magnetization. The interaction is not controlled by the magnetic field per se, but rather by the electron spin orientations, and opens prospects for a distinct approach to enantiomeric separations.

Separation of enantiomers by their enantiospecific interaction with achiral magnetic substrates