Comprehension of solvent structure with Raman Optical Activity – CAORSS

Recently, the induction of chirality on an achiral polar solvent by a chiral organic molecule has been observed in Raman Optical Activity (ROA) spectra. Several interpretations have been recently advanced, such as the intertwining of Raman Optical Activity and Electronic Circular Dichroism (ECD) effects. Our first measurements on two types of organic molecules have shown a weak effect, while for paramagnetic helical tri-metallic complexes, a very intense effect was observed as a continuous increase in the ROA signal of the solvent upon solute dilution, up to a limiting plateau. The proposed study, based on a close theory-experiment collaboration, aims to verify and understand these effects in different solvents with molecules of different types: organic or inorganic, of structural chirality or atropoisomerism. These studies will be carried out using an assortment of software and instrument developments in order to optimize the interpretation of the results.