Study of carbon-containing compounds and their reactions.
The 3D arrangement of atoms in molecules affects their behavior, taste, and even medical effects! Stereochemistry is the study of these spatial arrangements.
A molecule is chiral if it has a non-superimposable mirror image, often due to a carbon with four different groups attached (a chiral center).
Some drugs work only in one form—one enantiomer of thalidomide is safe, the other is harmful.
Flavors and scents often depend on stereochemistry—one form of carvone smells like spearmint, another like caraway!
Limonene’s two enantiomers smell like oranges or lemons.
Ibuprofen is sold as a mixture, but only one enantiomer is effective.
3D structure and handedness of molecules can change their properties dramatically.