Chiral expression of adsorbed (MP) 5-amino[6]helicenes: from random structures to dense racemic crystals by surface alloying.

The chiral expression of a molecule on a surface is driven from a random solid solution on Cu(100) to a racemic crystal on a Sn/Cu(100) alloy. Density functional theory simulations reveal how the growth of the racemate is influenced by the underlying surface.