Asymmetric Synthesis of Optically Active Sodium Chlorate and Bromate Crystals

The readily available sodium chlorate is an interesting ionic compound because, although achiral, it forms optically active crystals. When unperturbed, an aqueous solution of sodium chlorate yields a random distribution of + and − crystals on evaporation. Some chiral perturbations profoundly alter this distribution, however. These include seeding, the addition of the optically active cosolutes d -mannitol and d -sorbitol, and the energetic and chiral beta particles and positrons. The chiral weak interaction inherent in all atomic nuclei and thus atoms and molecules does not alter the distribution of + and − crystals. Stirring during evaporation, an achiral perturbation, affects the distribution of crystals in a given crystallization; when crystals from a large number of experiments are considered, however, the distribution of + and − crystals is random.