Mineral-Induced Enantioenrichment of Tartaric Acid

Abstract

Interaction of mixtures of d- and l-tartrates with dissolved gibbsite minerals produces homochiral and heterochiral dimers in a stochastic manner, providing a mechanism for enantioenrichment given a small initial imbalance. This work offers the first suggestion for a path towards the emergence of homochirality in prebiotic metabolism via the glyoxylate scenario.

Key words

enantioenrichment - prebiotic chemistry - nonlinear effects in enantiomerice excess

• References and Notes

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