Biasing Enantiomorph Formation via Geometric Confinement: Nanocorrals for Chiral Induction at the Liquid–Solid Interface

Abstract

Nanocorrals created by scanning probe lithography on covalently modified graphite surfaces are used to induce a chiral bias in the enantiomorphic assembly of a prochiral molecule at the liquid/graphite interface. By controlling the orientation of the nanocorrals with respect to the underlying graphite surface, the nanocorral handedness can be freely chosen and thus a chiral bias in molecular self-assembly is created at an achiral surface solely by the scanning probe lithography process.