Preferential intermolecular interactions lead to chiral recognition: enantioselective gel formation and collapse.

Interesting self-assembly of an amino acid based molecular material into a hydrogel in the presence of selective enantiomeric chiral amines leading to chiral recognition has been demonstrated. Moreover, collapse of a metallogel formed from the same material in the presence of selective enantiomers validated its enantioselective affinity. Importantly, in addition to relevant experimental techniques, DFT studies have been successfully explored to establish chiral recognition through enantioselective gelation.