The effect of carbon nanotubes on chiral chemical reactions

The intrinsic helicity of carbon nanotubes influences the formation of chiral molecules in chemical reactions. A racemic mixture of P and M enantiomers of nanotubes affects the enantiomeric excess of the products of the autocatalytic Soai reaction proportional to the amount of nanotubes added in the reaction mixture. An intermediate complex formed between the nanotube and the organometallic reagent is essential and explains the observed correlation between the enantiomeric distribution of products and the curvature of the carbon nanostructure. This Letter establishes a key mechanism for harnessing the helicity of nanoscale carbon surfaces for preparative organic reactions.