Crystallization-Driven Template Autocatalysis Induces Mirror Symmetry Breaking and Amplification

Crystallization-Driven Template Autocatalysis Induces Mirror Symmetry Breaking and Amplification | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Crystallization-Driven Template Autocatalysis Induces Mirror Symmetry Breaking and Amplification Zhen Chen, Huimin Wu, Qingxuan Chen, Duan Gao This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7805306/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 27 Feb, 2026 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract A plausible hypothesis for the origin of biological homochirality invokes chiral symmetry breaking, transfer, and amplification driven by autocatalysis. Here we experimentally demonstrate that crystallization-driven template autocatalysis (CDTA) induces mirror symmetry breaking and chiral amplification in helices. Under solvent-free conditions, CDTA enables the reductive cyclotetramerization of hydrogen-bonded naphthalonitrile precursors into crystalline fibers of naphthalocyanine derivatives. In achiral or racemic systems, a kinetically favored metastable right-handed helical bias emerges during nucleation and develops into P-helical dominant as the fibers elongate, achieving spontaneous mirror symmetry breaking. CDTA also transfers the single handedness of chiral seeds formed from enantiopure analogues to achiral naphthalocyanines through template-assisted replication, resulting in chiral amplification. A key mechanistic step involves the preorganization of naphthalonitrile molecules in a counterclockwise direction at the termini of P-helical fibers via J-type π–π stacking and hydrogen-bonding interactions for autocatalytic transformation. Thus, once mirror symmetry is broken, the resulting chiral perturbation is amplified in a self-replicating manner. Physical sciences/Chemistry/Chemical origin of life Physical sciences/Chemistry/Supramolecular chemistry/Supramolecular polymers Physical sciences/Chemistry/Chemical synthesis/Biomimetic synthesis Physical sciences/Chemistry/Supramolecular chemistry/Crystal engineering Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SupplementaryVideo1.mp4 In-situ OM observation on the CDTA of [NCA]CF SupplementaryVideo2.mp4 In-situ OM observation on the CDTA of [NCR]CF SupplementaryVideo3.mp4 In-situ OM observation on the CDTA of [NCS]CF SupplementaryVideo4.mp4 Statistical analysis of the P- and M-type helices in [NCA]CF SupplementaryVideo5.mp4 Statistical analysis of the P- and M-type helices in [NCrac]CF SupplementaryInformation.pdf Supplementary Information Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 27 Feb, 2026 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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