What is Enantiomer?

Enantiomer is a molecule that is an unsurpassed mirror image of another molecule. Like the right and left hand of man, both molecules look, but differ in orientation. Enantiomers are isomers, which means they contain the same chemical formula, but another structure. There are also stereoisomers in this category, which means that the links between atoms in each molecule are the same, but the three -dimensional arrangement of atoms is different. When the light is polarized, its waves are oriented in one plane, which then passes through the mixture of enantiomeric compounds. While one enantiomer rotates the light waves that pass in one direction, the other enantiomer turns him in the opposite direction of exactly the same size. This is due to the physical structure of molecules and their specific orientation.

Enantiomers can be classified either by the rotation of light or by the physical orientation of atoms in each molecule. There is no final relationship between two name systems, but are used depending on the context of the classification. WITHThe loukes are said to be either d - or l - compounds, or (+) or (-), depending on the direction that rotates the planes with polarized light. The letters correspond to the words dextorotary and Levorotary , which means clockwise and counterclockwise.

The second classification method for Enantiomer depends on the structural orientation of atoms around the central atom, where the binding difference occurs. This atom is often a carbon atom that is known as chiral carbon. In the category with this method, the molecule is oriented by located the smallest atom from the viewer, while the other three atoms are oriented in a triangle. The direction is determined from the atom with the highest weight and moving around the triangle in the order of decreasing weight. Instructions clockwise correspond to r - enantiomeric compounds, while directions against SMThe clockwise applies to s - compounds.

enantiomeric compounds will respond differently in some chemical reactions, especially when mixed with other enantiomers. Different enzymes and signaling molecules occur in one enantiomeric form and the other enantiomer does not cause the same effects. Enantiomers are sometimes formed together in what is called a racemic mixture in which there is no rotation of flat polarized light, because each compound cancels the other.