How does a chiral molecule differ from an achiral molecule?
1 Answer
May 9, 2016
How do gloves differ from mittens?
Explanation:
Most mittens (the ones your cats don't lose) can be worn on either your left hand or your right hand. Mittens are achiral species; they are superposable. But now consider fingered gloves. You can't wear a right-handed glove on your left hand, UNLESS you turn the glove inside out.
In the same way, a chiral molecule CANNOT be superimposed upon its mirror image. A left-handed molecule thus differs optically from its right handed mirror image. The interaction with another chiral species will be different from the interaction of its right-handed isomer, and this is the origin of biological isomerism, given the stereochemistry of sugars and proteins.
