Chirality center

Definition

A chirality center, often referred to as a stereocenter, is an atom in a molecule that has four different groups attached to it, leading to non-superimposable mirror image forms known as enantiomers. In organic chemistry, this is most commonly a carbon atom but can also be other tetrahedral atoms.

Related terms

Enantiomers: Mirror image forms of the same compound that cannot be superimposed on each other, much like left and right hands.

Stereocenter: A general term for any atom in a molecule where the exchange of two groups leads to a different stereoisomer; a chirality center is a type of stereocenter.

Optical Activity: The ability of chiral molecules to rotate plane-polarized light either to the right (dextrorotatory) or to the left (levorotatory), which is a direct consequence of chirality