Enantioselective synthesis

Definition

Enantioselective synthesis is a chemical process that selectively produces one enantiomer over the other in a chiral molecule. This technique is crucial in creating compounds with the desired biological activity by controlling the spatial arrangement of atoms.

Related terms

Chirality:

Refers to the property of a molecule that makes it non-superimposable on its mirror image, much like how your left hand is different from your right hand.

Enantiomers:

These are pairs of molecules that are mirror images of each other but cannot be superimposed, similar to left and right hands.

Catalyst:

A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed, often used in enantioselective synthesis to favor the production of one enantiomer over another