The Driving Mechanism Behind Attrition‐Enhanced Deracemization

Abstract

Change of heart: A solution-phase enantiomeric excess that has the handedness of the minor population of the solid phase is observed during grinding of a slurry of racemic conglomerate crystals. This excess is the driving force for a net flux of molecules from crystals of the minor handedness to crystals of the major handedness, thus explaining the complete deracemization of the solid phase (see picture: blue: S form, red: R form).