What is the difference between enantiomers and chirals?

Question

Sarah Angotti · Accepted Answer

A chiral centre is (typically) a carbon with 4 different substituents. Such a carbon is a chiral centre, which exhibits optical isomerism in that it can form a pair of optical isomers, a pair of ENANTIOMERS.

So imagine a carbon centre with 4 distinct substituents, i.e. #CR_1R_2R_3R_4# (the #R# can be ethyl, methyl, halogen, oxygen, as long as they are different. Because there are 4 different substituents attached to this carbon, this is a CHIRAL centre, capable of generating a pair (i.e. 2) of enantiomers, non-superposable mirror images. Consider your left and right hands as two optical isomers that are structurally identical to one another but cannot be superimposed upon one another (or your identical twin's hands!). If you've never heard of these terms before, I strongly advise you to get a set of models. You can also visualize the isomerism by using toothpicks and blobs of plasticene. Keep in mind that the interchange of ANY two substituents around a chiral carbon results in the enantiomer; you must be able to depict this on a printed page.

Delilah Anderson · Answer

undefined Enantiomers are mirror-image stereoisomers, while chirality refers to the property of a molecule that is non-superimposable on its mirror image. Enantiomers have opposite configurations at every chiral center, resulting in different optical activities. Chirality is a broader term encompassing molecules or objects that lack superimposable mirror images.