Many biological and bio-active molecules, like pharmaceuticals, fragrances exist in two distinct mirrored forms, the enantiomers of a so-called chiral species. While identical in chemical and physical properties, two enantiomers of the same molecules differ in their interaction with a given chiral environment, making the challenging analytical distinction of enantiomers a crucial task in industry.
Research conducted on the DESIRS beamline has now revealed a pathway to a simple table-top experimental approach to identify enantiomers of a molecule and quantify their relative content in condensed sample particles.
Enantiomers of chiral molecules, like our hands, are mirror images one of the other but cannot be superimposed. Such chiral molecules are omnipresent in biology, biochemistry, and pharmacology, where analytical enantio-sensitive measurements are crucial. A tragically famous example of the importance of this enantio-sensitivity is the drug known as Thalidomide: the left-hand form of Thalidomide molecule is a sedative, while the right-hand form has teratogenic effects; a mixture of the two forms was prescribed as a drug for pregnant women in the 1960s, resulting in the birth of thousands of children with birth defects. However, most traditional chiroptical techniques provide only weak chiral signatures, making precise measurements difficult.
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