印度多所科研机构的研究人员开发了一种具有扭转特性的激光光束技术，能够以不同方式与左手和右手分子相互作用，从而区分镜像异构体[1]。这一方法通过分析激光与分子作用产生的离子碎片来进行识别，相比传统光学检测手段更简单、灵敏度更高[1]。
参与此项研究的机构包括Tata基础研究所、印度孟买理工学院和印度海得拉巴理工学院[1]。研究人员采用几百飞秒的激光脉冲与R-或S-樟脑等分子作用，利用飞行时间质谱仪检测产生的结果[1]。这项成果已发表在《科学进展》2026年第12卷第23期上[1]，为化学、生物和制药领域的分子手性检测提供了新的技术途径[1]。
Researchers from India's Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, and Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad have developed a novel technique using twisted laser beams to distinguish between chiral molecules—compounds that exist as mirror images of each other.[1] The method leverages the differential interaction between left-handed and right-handed molecules and twisted light, analyzing the resulting ionic fragments to identify molecular chirality.[1]
The breakthrough offers a simpler and more sensitive alternative to conventional optical detection methods for identifying enantiomers, with potential applications across chemistry, biology, and pharmaceuticals.[1] The team employed femtosecond laser pulses, each lasting hundreds of femtoseconds, and utilized time-of-flight mass spectrometry to detect and characterize the fragmentation patterns of test molecules including R- and S-camphor.[1] Their findings were published in Science Advances in volume 12, issue 23, 2026, with DOI 10.1126/sciadv.aec6549.[1]