Study shows molecules can guide electrons, aiding safer medicines

Researchers at ETH Zurich have demonstrated that molecular chirality—the “handedness” of molecules—is not solely a static structural property but also an electronic phenomenon involving the dynamic behavior of electrons. Using ultrafast attosecond pulses of circularly polarized light, the team observed and manipulated how electrons are emitted differently from left- and right-handed mirror-image molecules, a process known as photoelectron circular dichroism (PECD). They were able to track electron ejection timing and even reverse the direction of electron emission by adjusting the light’s polarization and phase, marking the first experimental control over chirality-driven electron dynamics. This discovery has significant implications for fields such as drug design, molecular electronics, and sensing technologies, where chirality plays a crucial role. Since many drugs are effective only in one chiral form, understanding and controlling electron behavior at this fundamental level could lead to safer and more targeted medicines. The breakthrough was enabled by a novel “electron flash camera” capable of delivering circularly polarized attose