Exploring the Origin of Molecular Homochirality through Magneto-Chiral Photochemistry – PRINCIPE

Life homochirality consists in the exclusive production and use of homochiral molecular building blocks (L-amino acids and D-sugars) for the fabrication of biological polymers. Why homochirality has prevailed over a combination of left- and right-handed molecules and which symmetry breaking process is at the origin of homochirality in the molecules of life remain among the greatest unsolved questions in science. Various chemical, physical and physico-chemical initiating mechanisms have been proposed, but the experimental demonstrations reported so far are still partially convincing.
Magneto-Chiral Dichroism (MChD), the enantioselective absorption of unpolarized light that chiral systems experience under magnetic fields, and the spontaneous enantiomeric enrichments generated in photochemical reactions performed under magnetic fields (Magneto-Chiral Photochemistry) have been proposed as potential mechanisms for the emergence of molecular homochirality, but deep experimental investigations on this regard are still missing.
With the project PRINCIPE, I will use my expertise as a molecular chemist and my unique experience in performing chemical experiments under magnetic fields to explore Magneto-Chiral Photochemistry as a potential mechanism at the basis of molecular homochirality.