Theory of Chiral Electrodeposition by Chiral Micro-Nano-Vortices under a Vertical Magnetic Field -1: 2D Nucleation by Micro-Vortices

Abstract

Remarkable chiral activity is donated to a copper deposit surface by magneto-electrodeposition, whose exact mechanism has been clarified by the three-generation model. In copper deposition under a vertical magnetic field, a macroscopic tornado-like rotation called the vertical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow (VMHDF) emerges on a disk electrode, inducing the precessional motions of various chiral microscopic MHD vortices: First, chiral two-dimensional (2D) nuclei develop on an electrode by micro-MHD vortices. Then, chiral three-dimensional (3D) nuclei grow on a chiral 2D nucleus by chiral nano-MHD vortices. Finally, chiral screw dislocations are created on a chiral 3D nucleus by chiral ultra-micro MHD vortices. These three processes constitute nesting boxes, leading to a limiting enantiomeric excess (ee) ratio of 0.125. This means that almost all chiral activity of copper electrodes made by this method cannot exceed 0.125. It also became obvious that chirality inversion by chloride additive arises from the change from unstable to stable nucleation by the specific adsorption of it.

Keywords

• chirality
• chiral electrodeposition
• magnetic field
• nucleation
• micro-MHD vortex
• nano-MHD vortex