Enantiomer

Enantiomer

An Enantiomer is one of two stereoisomers that are mirror images of each other that are non-superposable (not identical), much as one's left and right hands are the same except for opposite orientation. This is a concept in stereochemistry, a sub-discipline of chemistry.

Overview

Enantiomers are a type of chiral molecule. Chirality is a property of a molecule that results from its structure. It is the property of a molecule that makes it non-superposable on its mirror image.

Enantiomers have the same physical properties (such as boiling point, melting point, and density), but they interact differently with plane polarized light and with other chiral molecules. This difference in behavior is due to the spatial arrangement of the atoms in the molecule.

Properties

Enantiomers have identical physical properties except for the direction in which they rotate polarized light. This rotation is measured using a polarimeter and is expressed as the optical rotation.

Applications

Enantiomers are of great importance in biochemistry, the study of chemical processes in living organisms, and in the pharmaceutical industry. Many drugs are chiral, and the two enantiomers can have different effects on the body.

See Also

• Stereochemistry
• Chirality (chemistry)
• Biochemistry
• Pharmaceutical industry

References

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