A folded molecule is a new type of catalyst, and can selectively speed chemical reactions. A chain-like molecule (grey, lower right) was designed to fold in a helical pattern, mimicking the folding of peptides found in nature. This arrangement allows it to selectively interact with a pair of mirror-image chemical compounds (in green). The trajectory depicts how the folded molecule interacts with only one member of the pair, and selectively accelerates its conversion to a new chemical form.

NYU (US)—Chemists have discovered how to make molecules with a twist. Folded into curled helical shapes, the molecules can accelerate selected chemical reactions and could prove useful for making pharmaceuticals.

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