Cahn–Ingold–Prelog rules

Definition

The Cahn-Ingold-Prelog rules are a set of guidelines used to assign priority to substituents attached to a chiral center in molecules, helping determine the three-dimensional spatial configuration of atoms. These rules are crucial for naming the stereochemistry of organic compounds using the R (rectus) and S (sinister) nomenclature.

Related terms

Chirality: A property of a molecule that exists in two forms which are mirror images of each other but cannot be superimposed, similar to left and right hands.

Enantiomers: Two stereoisomers that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other, differing only in the spatial orientation of their atoms.

Stereoisomerism: The occurrence of compounds with the same molecular formula and sequence of bonded atoms (constitution), but differing in the three-dimensional orientations of their atoms in space