Enantiomer
What is Enantiomer?
Enantiomers are pairs of stereoisomers that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other, differing only in the spatial arrangement of atoms around one or more chiral centers. They have identical physical and chemical properties in achiral environments but rotate plane-polarized light in opposite directions — one dextrorotatory (+) and the other levorotatory (−). Enantiomers can exhibit dramatically different biological activities, which is critically important in pharmaceutical chemistry.
Key Facts
Frequently Asked Questions
Enantiomers are pairs of stereoisomers that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other, differing only in the spatial arrangement of atoms around one or more chiral centers. They have identical physical and chemical properties in achiral environments but rotate plane-polarized light in opposite directions — one dextrorotatory (+) and the other levorotatory (−). Enantiomers can exhibit dramatically different biological activities, which is critically important in pharmaceutical chemistry.