Enantiomers: Understanding Chirality in Chemistry
by Yuvi K - December 23, 2023
What Are Enantiomers?
Enantiomers, also known as chiral molecules (or chiral compounds)(चिरल मैल्यूल या चिरल कम्पाउंड), are molecules or ions that are not superimposable on their mirror images. Chirality (चिरालिटी) describes the asymmetry of a molecule, and enantiomers differ from each other in the way that they interact with polarized light.
Enantiomers are often referred to as ‘right-handed’ and ‘left-handed’ molecules, and they are classified into two categories: diastereomers (डायस्टसियरोमर्स) and optically pure fitting molecules. Though they are mirror images, the molecules have slightly different chemical and physical properties.
What Are Optical Activity and Chiral Compounds?
Optical activity (ऑप्टिकल एक्टिविटी) refers to the property of certain molecules to rotate the plane of polarized light. Polarized light is split into two separate beams, each with its own plane of vibration.
When a molecule is rotated in the plane of polarized light, it is said to have optical activity or be a chiral compound (चिराल कम्पाउंड). The two beams of polarized light that are split are known as enantiomers or optical isomers (ऑप्टिकल इसॉमर्स).
Why Are Enantiomers Important?
Enantiomers may have different biological activities, so it is important to be able to identify and separate them. Pharmaceuticals (फार्मेस्यूटिकल्स), enzymes (एनज़ाइम्स), hormones (हॉर्मोन्स) and other biochemical molecules are usually of specific biological activity.
Therefore, the enantiomers of a molecule should also be of a specific biological activity. As a result, understanding the properties of enantiomers and how they interact with other molecules is an important area of research for scientists.
What Are the Differences Between Diastereomers and Optically Pure molecules?
Diastereomers are different molecules that have the same chemical formula, but different three-dimensional structures. Diastereomeric molecules differ in their stereochemistry and can occur in both left- and right-handed forms.
Optically pure molecules are molecules that consist of just one enantiomer. These molecules are also known as enantiopure molecules (एनैंशियोप्यूर मॉल्यूल्स).
Conclusion
Enantiomers are molecules or ions that are not superimposable on their mirror images, and they have different chemical and physical properties. It is important to identify and separate them as they can have different biological activities. They can be classified into two categories: diastereomers and optically pure molecules. Understanding the properties of enantiomers and how they interact with other molecules is an essential area of research for scientists.
