Chirality centers

Definition

A chirality center in organic chemistry is an atom, typically carbon, that has four different groups attached to it, leading to non-superimposable mirror image forms of the molecule. These centers are crucial for determining the 3D spatial orientation of molecules, affecting their chemical behavior and interactions.

Related terms

Enantiomers: Molecules that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other due to the presence of chirality centers.

Stereoisomers: Compounds with the same molecular formula and sequence of bonded atoms (constitution), but differing in the three-dimensional orientations of their atoms in space.

Optical Activity: The property of chiral molecules to rotate plane-polarized light either to the right (dextrorotatory) or to the left (levorotatory), measurable by polarimetry as an indication of chirality