CHIRALFORCE_Chiral separation of molecules enabled by enantioselective optical forces in integrated nanophotonic circuits

分离对映异构体对于生产生物活性分子至关重要，例如，在早期药物发现中。CHIRALFORCE旨在采用一种全新的策略，在硅基集成波导上使用手性光学力在芯片上分离对映体。目前针对这个数十亿市场的手性色谱解决方案是缓慢且繁琐的，因为它需要针对每种手性化合物定制化学，并且依赖于大型且昂贵的分离柱。相反，CHIRALFORCE设想将厘米长的光学电路与微流体集成在一起，以实现极其快速，可调和廉价的对映体分离。基本机制依赖于光学力，是对映选择性的，由于相互作用的自旋性质的光场与手性光学极化率的物质。这些手性光学力可以通过强限制模式的纳米光子设计来定制，远远超出自由空间手性光的可能性。分析物在微流控通道中沿沿着cm长的激光驱动流动将导致对映体分离。实现我们主要目标的方法依赖于三个主要的财团优势。首先，我们将设计和合成手性分子和纳米颗粒，这将使我们能够探索手性力，而不管物质的手性极化率如何通过大小，形状和内置光谱共振进行调整，接下来，我们将建立液体环境中纳米颗粒和分子的手性光学力的一般框架，利用我们在纳米光子理论，设计和实验方面的优势，关于电磁场的手征/自旋性质。最后，我们将利用我们在纳米技术的经验，制造硅基光子集成电路与微流体集成，以证明对映体分离。

Separating enantiomers is crucial to produce bio-active molecules, e.g., in early-phase drug discovery. CHIRALFORCE aims at a radically new strategy to separate enantiomers on chip, using chiral optical forces at silicon-based integrated waveguides. The present solution of chiral chromatography for this multi-billion market is slow and cumbersome since it requires tailored chemistry for each chiral compound and relies on large and expensive separation columns. Instead, CHIRALFORCE envisions cm-length optical circuits integrated with microfluidics for extremely quick, tuneable, and cheap enantiomeric separation. The underlying mechanism relies on optical forces that are enantioselective, due to interaction of spin-properties of the optical field with the chiral optical polarizability of matter. These chiral optical forces can be tailored well beyond the possibilities of free-space chiral light through nanophotonic design of strongly confined modes. Flowing analyte in microfluidic channels along cm-length laser-driven will then result in enantio-separation. The approach to reach our main objectives relies on three main consortium strengths. First, we will design and synthesize chiral molecules and nanoparticles that will allow us to explore chiral forces regardless of how the chiral polarizability of matter is tuned by the size, shape, and in-built spectroscopic resonances, Next, we will establish the general framework of chiral optical forces on nanoparticles and molecules in liquid environments, leveraging our strength in nanophotonic theory, design and experiment, on chiral/spin-properties of electromagnetic fields. Finally, we will leverage our experience in nanotechnology to fabricate silicon-based photonic integrated circuits integrated with microfluidics to demonstrate enantiomer separation.