A UCF team has developed a sensor platform that can quantify the purity of chiral enantiomers with a high degree of accuracy, while lowering costs. Chiral molecules are pairs of mirror-image molecules.

Each part (enantiomer) can have different effects in the body, so pharmaceutical developers must often separate the enantiomers or synthesize only the desired enantiomer to ensure optimal therapeutic outcomes and minimize adverse effects. The new platform can quantify the purity of chiral enantiomers with a high degree of sensitivity and save money due to its nanoimprinting fabrication and lower concentrations and fewer molecules needed for accurate detection, says inventor Debashis Chanda.

• Debashis Chanda