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.