Enantiomeriä

Enantiomeriä is the Finnish term for enantiomers. Enantiomers are a type of stereoisomer where two molecules are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. This relationship is similar to how your left and right hands are mirror images but cannot be perfectly overlaid. The key characteristic of enantiomers is their chirality, meaning they possess a "handedness."

Chirality in molecules typically arises from a chiral center, which is an atom (most commonly carbon) bonded to four different atoms or groups. When a molecule has one chiral center, it will have two enantiomers. If a molecule has multiple chiral centers, the number of possible stereoisomers increases, but not all of them will necessarily be enantiomers of each other.

Enantiomers share identical physical properties such as melting point, boiling point, and solubility in achiral solvents. However, they differ significantly in their interaction with other chiral entities. This is particularly important in biological systems, as enzymes and receptors are chiral. Consequently, one enantiomer of a drug might be therapeutically effective, while the other could be inactive or even toxic.

The synthesis of enantiomerically pure compounds is a major focus in organic chemistry and pharmaceuticals. Racemic mixtures, which contain equal amounts of both enantiomers, are often produced in non-stereoselective reactions. Separating enantiomers from a racemic mixture, a process called chiral resolution, or synthesizing a single enantiomer preferentially, known as asymmetric synthesis, are critical techniques.