Chiral chemical fuels trigger two very different supramolecular self-assemblies

The self-assembly of molecules into supramolecular structures responds to a variety of triggers, including light, temperature, pH and chemical stimuli. Now, researchers have discovered that chemical fuels can drive molecules to self-assemble into different structures – depending on these fuels’ handedness. This could provide an explanation for the origins of life’s homochirality – particularly in peptides and proteins.