Chirality detection enabled by colossal optical anisotropy of 2D layered materials

ongoing

Molecular chirality plays a fundamental role in pharmaceuticals, toxicology, and environmental sciences, as enantiomers of the same molecule can have vastly different biological effects. Current chiroptical detection methods, such as circular dichroism and Raman optical activity, require complex, expensive setups with limited sensitivity, often making real-time and field applications impractical. The 2Dchiral project aims to revolutionize chiral detection by leveraging the colossal optical anisotropy of novel 2D materials to create fiber-based chiroptical probes. These functionalized optical fibers will replace bulky polarization optics, improving compactness and portability together with enhancing detection sensitivity by over 10X while reducing costs by 2 – 5X. Our approach is based on the principle that chiral interactions can be significantly amplified if the illuminating light’s polarization state is tailored to match the symmetry of the target molecule. Instead of using conventional circularly polarized light, we will design custom polarization states via 2D-material-integrated optical fiber probes, ensuring optimal enantiomer-specific signal enhancement. This will enable fast, real-time enantiomeric discrimination in pharmaceuticals, environmental monitoring, and food safety. The potential impact is significant: improved enantioselective drug screening, detection of chiral pollutants, and real-time quality control in food and chemical industries. Through IP protection, commercialization strategies, and industry engagement, 2Dchiral aims to establish a new standard for low-cost, high-precision chiral analysis, democratizing access to advanced optical sensing worldwide.