Chirality surface reactions, role

The ability of STM to image at the atomic scale is particularly exemplified by the two other chapters in the book. Thornton and Pang discuss the identification of point defects at Ti02 surfaces, a material that has played an important role in model catalyst studies to date. Point defects have been suggested to be responsible for much of the activity at oxide surfaces and the ability to identify these features and track their reactions with such species as oxygen and water represents a major advance in our ability to explore surface reactions. Meanwhile, Baddeley and Richardson concentrate on the effects of chirality at surfaces, and on the important field of surface chirality and its effects on adsorption, in a chapter that touches on one of the fundamental questions in the whole of science - the origins of life itself ... 

Heterogeneous catalysis is a surface phenomenon in which the crystal face plays a major role. NAP-MgO has a polyhedral shape with a three-dimensional structure with reactive ions on the surface. The crystal morphology and crystal shape induce the chirality in the reaction. 

The mechanisms discussed in this chapter will provide some insights into the reaction pathways. More detailed investigations are warranted in order to determine the role of the surface, crystal shape, size, and comer/edge positions of nanocrystalline magnesium oxide. Most importantly, the effective role of the acidic and basic sites of nanocrystalline magnesium oxide in catalysis remains to be determined. The work presented in this chapter hopefully opens a new dimension in the area of heterogeneous asymmetric catalysis and for the synthesis of chiral products. 

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