Sustainable methods for the synthesis of chiral nanomaterials
Tingting Hong, Jiaqi Guan, Wenhu Zhou, Songwen Tan, Zhiqiang Cai
Abstract
Various chiral nanomaterials designed based on the sustainability concept can be applied for chiral recognition, separation, catalysis, and sensing. In this review, we mainly focus on the sustainability of chiral nanomaterial preparation approaches. A remarkable effort has been devoted to constructing magnetic chiral nanocomposites depending on biomolecules such as proline, cysteine, enzymes, and saccharides. Moreover, the combination of magnetic materials and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibits specific advantages in chiral applications. Integrating chiral elements into covalent organic frameworks (COFs) enables them to act as attractive chiral photocatalysts. Exploring renewable resources in nature has received considerable interest in natural and materials sciences. Chiral cellulose nanocrystals are considered a favorite alternative in the field of photocatalysis, combining sustainability with advanced material properties. Sustainable chiral metal/metalloid/metal-free nanomaterials possess unique properties at the nanoscale, such as high surface area, enhanced catalytic activity, and improved stability. We envision that such sustainable nanomaterials will sustain the chirality forever.