Researchers at the Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics in Siberia are investigating how an initial imbalance between two mirror-image forms of molecules could have arisen. Their work is related to research recognized by the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
The Nobel Committee announced Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai as chemistry laureates on Oct. 7 for discoveries in asymmetric organic synthesis and autocatalysis. Their work showed how chemical reactions can amplify and control an existing imbalance between mirror-image molecules.
The Novosibirsk team, with support from the Russian Science Foundation, is testing whether a physical process, including interactions with spin-polarized electrons, could have created the initial asymmetry. Such electrons have spins preferentially aligned in one direction and can occur during the beta decay of radioactive nuclei.
Oleg Tereshchenko, head of a laboratory at the institute, told RIA Novosti that researchers will test whether molecules with different chirality interact differently with electrons whose spins point in opposite directions. They also plan to expose initially non-chiral molecules to electrons. The team is developing an optical scanning tunneling microscope for the experiments.