Chirality (chemistry)
A
chiral molecule /ˈkaɪərəl/ is a type of molecule that has a non-superposable mirror image. The presence of an asymmetric carbon atom is often the feature that causes chirality in molecules.
Achiral objects, such as atoms, are symmetrical, identical to their mirror image. Human hands are perhaps the most universally recognized example of chirality: the left hand is a non-superposable mirror image of the right hand; no matter how the two hands are oriented, it is impossible for all the major features of both hands to coincide. This difference in symmetry becomes obvious if a left-handed glove is placed on a right hand. The term
chirality is derived from the Greek word for hand, χειρ. It is a mathematical approach to the concept of "handedness". In chemistry, chirality usually refers to molecules. Two mirror images of a chiral molecule are called enantiomers or
optical isomers. Pairs of enantiomers are often designated as "right-" and "left-handed". Molecular chirality is of interest because of its application to stereochemistry in inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, biochemistry, and supramolecular chemistry.