A solid substrate comprising a surface comprising an achiral array of atoms having thereupon a chiral metal oxide surface. The chiral metal oxide surface is prepared by electrodeposition of a chiral metal oxide array from a solution of a chiral salt of the metal. In one embodiment, chiral CuO is grown on achiral Au(001) by epitaxial electrodeposition. The handedness of the film is determined by the specific enantiomer of tartrate ion in the deposition solution. (R,R)-tartrate produces an S--CuO(1 1 1) film, while (S,S)-tartrate produces an R--CuO( 11 1) film. These chiral CuO films are enantiospecific for the electrochemical oxidation of(R,R) and (S,S)-tartrate.