Chiral Symmetry Breaking During Growing Process of NaClO₃ Crystal under Direct-Current Electric Field

We investigate the influence of dc electric field on chiral symmetry breaking during the growing process of NaClO₃ crystal. Nucleation and growth of NaClO₃ are completed from an aqueous solution by a fast cooling temperature technology. A pair of polarization microscopes are used to identify a distribution of chiral crystals. Experimental results indicate that the dc electric field has an effect on distribution of chirality, but the direction of the dc electric field is not sensitive to the chiral autocatalysis and selectivity, i.e. the nature convection driving by the gravity does not play an important role on a thin layer of NaClO₃ solution. The experimental phenomena may be elucidated by the ECSN mechanism.