Enantioselective adsorption on rock-forming minerals: A thought experiment

Experimental studies of enantioselective molecular adsorption on chiral crystalline surfaces have been limited by the availability of crystals with chiral surfaces of sufficient aerial extent. I propose a simple experimental approach to quantifying enantiomeric excess—a technique that is applicable to any crystal that displays predominantly chiral cleavage faces when crushed, such as the (110) and (1–10) faces of common rock-forming clinopyroxene and clinoamphibole mineral groups. Enantiomeric excesses can be determined by comparing batch adsorption experiments that employ a racemic solution of the adsorbed molecule to similar experiments using pure D or L solutions of the molecular adsorbate.