Enantiomer

Name:
Enantiomer
Detailed information:
(enantiomorph). One of a pair of optical isomers containing one or more asymmetric carbon atoms C* whose molecular configurations have left- and right-hand (chiral) forms. These forms are conventionally designated dextro (D) and levo (L) because they compare to each other structurally as do the right and left hands when the carbon atoms are lined up vertically. This is apparent in the enantiomorphic forms of glyceraldehyde; the two structures are mirror images of each other and cannot be made to coincide:

Several pairs of enantiomers are possible, depending on the number of asymmetric carbon atoms in the molecule. Compounds in which an asymmetric carbon is present display optical rotation.See Asymmetry; Optical Isomer; Optical Rotation.