enantiomerický

Enantiomerická refers to enantiomers, which are a specific type of stereoisomer. Stereoisomers are molecules that have the same chemical formula and the same atoms connected in the same order, but differ in the three-dimensional arrangement of their atoms in space. Enantiomers are stereoisomers that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. This means that if you hold one enantiomer up to a mirror, the image you see is the other enantiomer, and you cannot rotate one to perfectly align with the other.

This property of being non-superimposable mirror images is similar to how our left and right hands are mirror images but cannot be perfectly superimposed. Molecules that exhibit enantiomerism are said to be chiral. Chirality is a fundamental concept in chemistry, particularly in organic chemistry and biochemistry, as many biological molecules, such as amino acids and sugars, are chiral.

The physical properties of enantiomers, such as melting point, boiling point, and solubility in achiral solvents, are identical. However, they can differ significantly in their interaction with other chiral molecules or chiral environments. This is why enantiomers can have different biological activities. For example, one enantiomer of a drug might be therapeutically effective, while the other could be inactive or even harmful. Enantiomers also rotate plane-polarized light in opposite directions. One enantiomer will rotate the light clockwise (dextrorotatory), denoted by (+) or d-, while the other will rotate it counterclockwise (levorotatory), denoted by (-) or l-. A mixture containing equal amounts of both enantiomers is called a racemic mixture.