Question

Define -- Enantiomers

Hint:

Think of your left and right hands. They are mirror images but cannot be perfectly superimposed on each other. This is the essence of chirality and enantiomerism.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Enantiomers are a type of stereoisomers that occur in molecules containing a chiral center (a carbon atom bonded to four different groups).
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Enantiomers have identical physical properties like melting point, boiling point, and solubility, but they differ in two ways:
1. They rotate the plane of plane-polarized light in opposite directions (dextrorotatory and laevorotatory).
2. They react differently with other chiral reagents.
A classic example is d-lactic acid and l-lactic acid.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Enantiomers are optical isomers that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other.