Researchers from Wageningen have synthesised peptide-like oligomers for which the chirality of each monomer can be determined. They write in Nature Synthesis that there is huge potential for information storage.

The simplest sequence-defined chiral oligomers that we know of are peptides. They are diverse in structure and have a very specific 3D organisation that is determined to a certain degree by their chirality. By combining their shape, composition and length, they can perform specific biological functions. ‘The question for chemists becomes: can you do something similar with non-biological molecules?’ asks Han Zuilhof, Professor of Organic Chemistry at Wageningen University & Research. ‘And if so, could you expand this to create information-dense polymers?’