Optochiral Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor (MIS) Electrodes

Abstract

Chirality is inherent in Nature, and the ability to differentiate between the enantiomers of chiral molecules provides vital information. Reliable enantiomeric discrimination enhances our understanding of chiral recognition in biological systems and facilitates the identification of potent molecular tools for biochemical and pharmaceutical investigations. Consequently, developing novel techniques for accurate and reliable enantioselective detection remains highly desirable. Herein, chiral-imprinted Si-based photoelectrodes are elaborated by interfacing a mesoporous chiral Pt coating with a photoactive n-Si-based metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) photoanode by electrodeposition in the simultaneous presence of a lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) and a chiral template. These optochiral photoanodes exhibit enantioselective photoelectrochemical (PEC) recognition of chiral compounds, such as 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) enantiomers. These results open up promising prospects for enantioselective PEC analysis and the photoelectrosynthesis of high-added-value chiral products.