Optical isomers are mirror images that cannot be superimposed, known as enantiomers. Enantiomers are chiral and rotate the plane of polarized light either to the right (dextro – d) or to the left (laevo – l) in a polarimeter.
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Optical isomers are mirror images that cannot be superimposed, known as enantiomers. Enantiomers are chiral and rotate the plane of polarized light either to the right (dextro – d) or to the left (laevo – l) in a polarimeter.
Optical isomers are a type of stereoisomer that exist as non-superimposable mirror images, known as enantiomers. Enantiomers have identical physical and chemical properties except for their interaction with plane-polarized light. They rotate plane-polarized light in equal but opposite directions, a phenomenon known as optical activity. One enantiomer rotates the light clockwise (dextrorotary), while the other rotates it counterclockwise (levorotary). The degree of rotation is quantified by specific rotation. Enantiomers’ mirror-image relationship and distinct optical activities make them crucial in fields like pharmaceuticals, where their biological effects may differ due to interactions with chiral biological molecules.