Molecular polarization and molecular chiralization: The first example of achiralized xenon atom

In this article we focus on the interaction between a chiral molecule and a single achiral molecule or an ensemble of achiral molecules. The desymmetr ization of the achiral molecules resulting from this interaction is describ ed as "chiralization," By analogy with electric polarization, we factorize chiralization into three factors, i.e., ori entation, atomic, and electroni c terms. Chiralization depends on the dipolar polarizability of the chirali zed molecule but also on polarizabilities of higher order, The experimental part of this work is devoted to the electronic chiralization of a xenon at om and its observation by Xe-129 NMR spectroscopy. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc .