Senior Project Advisor

Patrick, David L.

Document Type

Project

Publication Date

Spring 2001

Keywords

Chiral symmetry breaking, Achiral molecules

Abstract

Chiral symmetry breaking in a fluid of achiral molecules at a liquid-solid interface was studied using atomistic molecular dynamics simulation. The molecules were achiral in three dimensions, but left- and right-handed forms could be distinguished in the reduced symmetry environment of an interfacial fluid. The system consisted of a thick fluid film in contact with a crystalline monolayer adsorbed to a solid surface. When molecules in the crystalline monolayer were arranged in uniformly chiral configurations, a homochiral enantiomeric excess developed in the adjacent interfacial fluid. Fluid properties were characterized through measurements of chiral, nematic, and ferroelectric order parameters, and diffusion coefficients, as a function of distance from the interface. The emergence of chirality is attributed to fluid layering near the solid surface, suggesting that interfacial chirality is commonplace in fluids composed of molecules with certain symmetry characteristics.

Department

Chemistry

Subjects - Topical (LCSH)

Molecular dynamics--Computer simulation; Chirality

Genre/Form

student projects; term papers

Type

Text

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.

Rights Statement

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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Included in

Chemistry Commons

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