Asymmetric Autocatalysis with Amplification of Chirality

A Darwinistic principle in catalysis? The term for the catalysis of an asymmetric, catalyzed reaction by its product is “asymmetric autocatalysis”. The enantiomeric excess of a self‐replicating system such as that described by Soai et al. can be amplified enormously in several reaction cycles [Eq. (a)].