enantiomerler

Enantiomerler, a Turkish term for enantiomers, are pairs of stereoisomers that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. Each member of an enantiomer pair is typically chiral, meaning it has at least one stereogenic (asymmetric) center or arrangement that makes it non-superposable on its mirror image.

In many physical respects enantiomers are indistinguishable: they share identical melting and boiling points, density, and solubility in achiral environments. The key difference lies in their optical activity: each enantiomer rotates plane-polarized light by the same magnitude but in opposite directions. The absolute configuration around stereogenic centers is described using the Cahn–Ingold–Prelog (CIP) system as R or S; an enantiomer is the mirror image with the opposite configuration at every chiral center.

Enantiomerler interact differently with chiral environments, such as biological receptors, enzymes, and transporters. This can lead to markedly different biological activities or toxicities. In pharmaceuticals, for example, one enantiomer may be therapeutically active while its partner is less active or produces adverse effects. Common illustrations include lactic acid and ibuprofen, where the two enantiomers exhibit different biological outcomes. The Thalidomide episodes historically demonstrated that enantiomers can have divergent biological effects.

Enantiomerler are distinct from diastereomers, which are stereoisomers that are not mirror images and therefore typically have different physical properties. Separation and identification of enantiomers—enantioseparation—are achieved by methods such as chiral chromatography, formation of diastereomeric salts, or chiral resolution, and analysis can involve polarimetry, circular dichroism, or X-ray crystallography.

In summary, enantiomerler are mirror-image partners of chiral molecules with identical properties in achiral contexts but potentially divergent behavior in living systems.