Topic overview

Start with the big picture

Enantiomers have the same connectivity but differ in spatial arrangement. They share physical properties in ordinary, achiral environments, while their optical rotations have equal magnitude and opposite signs; interactions with chiral environments can differ. The lesson introduces CIP priority ranking and the R/S assignment process, alongside wedge-dash and Fischer projections for visualizing stereochemistry. It distinguishes enantiomers from diastereomers and explains how internal symmetry can make a molecule achiral despite stereogenic centers. The topic also connects racemic mixtures and enantiomeric excess to optical activity, outlines methods used to resolve enantiomers, and considers the significance of stereochemistry in biological interactions.