Chirality in real time
Friday, January 11, 2019 - 07:00
in Physics & Chemistry
Distinguishing between left-handed and right-handed (chiral) molecules is crucial in chemistry and the life sciences, and is commonly achieved using a method called circular dichroism. However, during biochemical reactions, the chiral character of molecules may change. EPFL scientists have now developed a method that uses ultrashort, deep-ultraviolet pulses to accurately probe such changes in real-time in biomolecular systems.