Chiral molecule adsorption on helical polymers

TL;DR

This paper introduces a lattice model to study how chiral amine molecules induce helicity in otherwise inactive polymers, linking molecular adsorption to polymer chirality through an Ising model framework.

Contribution

It develops a novel lattice-based Ising model to analyze helicity induction in polymers caused by chiral molecule adsorption, connecting theoretical predictions with experimental observations.

Findings

Helicity induction depends on strong coupling between adsorption and polymer chirality.

The model predicts equilibrium properties matching experimental trends.

Adsorption of chiral molecules can induce a preferred helical sense in polymers.

Abstract

We present a lattice model for helicity induction on an optically inactive polymer due to the adsorption of exogenous chiral amine molecules. The system is mapped onto a one-dimensional Ising model characterized by an on-site polymer helicity variable and an amine occupancy one. The equilibrium properties are analyzed at the limit of strong coupling between helicity induction and amine adsorption and that of non-interacting adsorbant molecules. We discuss our results in view of recent experimental results.