Contact Electrification–Based Enantioselective Recognition of Chiral Amino Acids through Stereospecific Interfacial Electron Transfer
Journal
Journal of the American Chemical Society
Journal Volume
148
Journal Issue
3
Start Page
3063
End Page
3076
ISSN
00027863
Date Issued
2026-01-28
Author(s)
Pal, Arnab
Kim, Hakjeong
Suresh, Shreerag
Wei, Po-Han
Al-Kabbany, Abdullah Mohamed
Choi, Dukhyun
Abstract
Chirality lies at the heart of chemistry, governing the structure–function relationships of biomolecules, pharmaceuticals, and catalysts. However, rapid and label-free enantioselective analysis remains an enduring challenge due to the intrinsic similarity of enantiomers’ physicochemical properties. Here, we report a contact electrification–based triboelectric sensing platform for the enantioselective recognition of chiral amino acids, achieved by coating CuO nanowires. The approach exploits chirality-dependent interfacial electron transfer, whereby differences in molecular orbital alignment and work function between enantiomers generate distinct electronic signatures during controlled contact–separation with acetone. Kelvin probe force microscopy, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations reveal that subtle differences in side-chain geometry modulate nanoscale surface potentials and electron cloud overlap, leading to quantifiable shifts in charge transfer efficiency. The method achieves millisecond-scale discrimination across charged, polar uncharged, and sulfur-containing amino acids, with orthogonal evidence from molecule specific enantioselective contact-electrocatalytic degradation of methyl orange. By transducing stereochemical information directly into measurable electrical outputs, this work demonstrates a mechanistically grounded chemical sensing paradigm, offering a versatile platform for pharmaceutical quality control and biomolecular diagnostics.
Publisher
American Chemical Society
Type
journal article