Spontaneous mirror-symmetry breaking and the origin of biological homochirality

Authors

  • Joaquim Crusats Universitat de Barcelona
  • Albert Moyano Universitat de Barcelona

Keywords:

Autocatalysis, absolute asymmetric catalysis, supramolecular catalysis, biological homochirality, spontaneous mirror-symmetry breaking.

Abstract

In order to explain the origin of biological homochirality (the fact that only one enantiomeric form of the molecules of life is consistently found), the appearance of an initial enantiomeric excess caused by spontaneous mirror-symmetry breaking (SMSB) has been assumed. However, experimental examples of the achievement of SMSB in chemical reactions are very rare. The occurrence of SMSB in self-assembly processes is much more common and its chiral outcome can be controlled by macroscopic chiral forces. We propose a new mechanism for the emergence of molecular chirality, in which an achiral monomer is converted under SMSB to a nonracemic chiral aggregate that is catalytically active and can transfer its chirality at the molecular solution level (absolute asymmetric catalysis).

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Author Biographies

Joaquim Crusats, Universitat de Barcelona

Joaquim Crusats és llicenciat en química per la Universitat de Barcelona (UB, 1989), on també obtingué el doctorat en química orgànica sota la direcció del professor Josep M. Ribó treballant en el camp de les porfirines autoassemblants. Després d’una estada postdoctoral de divuit mesos a la Universitat de Kyoto, es reincorporà a la UB, on ha estat professor ajudant i investigador Ramon y Cajal i on actualment és professor agregat de química orgànica des del 2007.

1.Universitat de Barcelona. Facultat de Química. Departament de Química Inorgànica i Orgànica. Secció de Química Orgànica
2 Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC). Institut de Ciències del Cosmos de la Universitat de Barcelona (ICCUB)

Albert Moyano, Universitat de Barcelona

Albert Moyano va néixer el 1955 a Barcelona. És llicenciat en química per la Universitat de Barcelona (UB, 1978), on també es va doctorar en química orgànica, sota la direcció del doctor Fèlix Serratosa. Després d’una estada postdoctoral a la Universitat de Grenoble (1985-1986) amb el doctor Andrew Greene, on va prendre contacte amb la síntesi asimètrica, tornà a la UB, on és catedràtic des del 2003. Les seves línies de recerca actuals se centren en nous mètodes de catàlisi asimètrica i en l’estudi dels processos de trencament espontani de la simetria especular.

Universitat de Barcelona. Facultat de Química. Departament de Química Inorgànica i Orgànica. Secció de Química Orgànica

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Issue

No. 20 (2021)

Section

Articles

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