What are chiral compounds?

Chiral compounds are a type of molecules that have the property of chirality. Chirality is a fundamental concept in chemistry and refers to the property of a molecule that cannot be superimposed on its mirror image. In other words, chiral molecules exist in two non-superimposable mirror-image forms, just like our hands; they are analogous to left and right hands.

The two mirror-image forms of a chiral molecule are called enantiomers. Enantiomers have the same physical properties, such as boiling point, density, and solubility, but they differ in how they interact with other chiral molecules and polarized light. When chiral molecules interact with other chiral molecules or chiral environments, they often exhibit different chemical and biological behaviors.

The concept of chirality is essential in various fields, including pharmaceuticals, biology, and materials science, as it has significant implications for drug effectiveness, enzymatic reactions, and the design of certain materials.

A common example of a chiral compound is the amino acid alanine. Its chiral carbon center gives rise to two enantiomers, D-alanine and L-alanine, which are important in biological systems and have distinct roles in protein structures and functions.