Stereokemian

Stereokemian is a term used in speculative chemistry and science fiction to describe a class of molecular systems in which stereochemical information is distributed and coupled across a network. Unlike conventional molecules where chirality is tied to a single center, stereokemian frameworks exhibit emergent chirality arising from interactions among multiple chiral sites, leading to collective properties that cannot be predicted from individual units alone.

Structural motifs commonly associated with stereokemian concepts include helically arranged polymers, covalent organic frameworks with enantiomerically biased linkers, and coordination networks where chiral nodes impose a handedness on neighboring units. The result can be persistent optical activity, enantioselective reactivity, and traction of chiral information through the material, sometimes described as chiral memory.

Etymology: The name combines stereo- (three-dimensional arrangement) with kemia, a historic variant of chemistry. In fiction and in theoretical discussions, stereokemian serves as a thought experiment to explore how stereochemical coupling affects phase behavior, catalysis, and material properties.

Relationship to real chemistry: While not an established real-world category, stereokemian concepts parallel threads in stereochemistry, such as chiral amplification, helical polymers, and supramolecular chirality, and are used to illustrate emergent phenomena that arise from networked chirality.

See also: stereochemistry, chirality, enantioselectivity, helical polymers, covalent organic frameworks, coordination polymers, chiral memory.