Chiral semiconducting nanostructures

There were several interesting recent publications on chiral semiconducting nanoparticles and their applications. 

A remarkable phenomenon of chiral ligand induced circular dichroism in CdSe quantum dots was reported by M. Balaz et The researchers 

In another work ZnS nanoparticles with an inducing chirality were used as a catalyst for asymmetric aldol condensation reactions. In this case ZnS nanoparticles (Fig. 9) have been synthesized by a coprecipitation of ZnS in the presence of r-proline. Then these nanoparticles were used as a catalyst for the direct asymmetric aldol reaction of several aldehydes with acetone to achieve chiral Z)-hydro q carbonyl compounds in good yields and enantioselectivity at room temperature without using any co-solvent for solubility purposes. It was found that the selectivity of the ZnS nanoparticles enabled to produce only (i )-6-hydro q carbonyl compounds and restricted the reaction at the aldolization stage only. Importantly, notice that the ZnS catalyst was recovered and reused several times without any considerable loss in activity. 

9 Mode of interaction of L-proline with the surface of the ZnS NPs. (Orange balls indicate ZnS NPs, purple for carbon atoms, red for oxygen atoms and white for hydrogen atoms.) Reproduced from ref. 85 with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry. 

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