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[Chemical Knowledge]：Chiral and achiral molecules: ingenuity in the microcosm

Read： 866 Time：18months ago Source：Transform the World with Simplicity

In the microscopic world, molecules are the basic units that make up all matter. However, there is great diversity and complexity among these tiny molecules. One important distinction is the difference between chiral and achiral molecules.

what is a chiral molecule? Chirality comes from the Greek word for "hand", which comes from the concept of symmetry. An object is chiral if it cannot coincide with its mirror image under a plane mirror. In other words, chiral molecules do not possess mirror symmetry. For example, right and left hands are typically chiral molecules. No matter how to rotate and move, the left and right hands cannot completely coincide.

In contrast, achiral molecules have mirror symmetry, that is, they can coincide after being mirrored by a plane mirror. For example, some common small molecules such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) are achiral. No matter how they are rotated or moved, their structure is completely symmetrical.

why there is such an important distinction between chiral and achiral molecules, this relates to their applications in chemistry and biology. Chiral molecules are very important in the field of medicine. For example, drug molecules and receptor structures within the body typically interact through spatial conformational adaptations. Chiral molecules, on the other hand, may interact differently with the receptor structure due to their spatial conformation differences. This means that left-and right-handed drug molecules may have different therapeutic effects or toxic side effects. This is one of the reasons why there is a need in the pharmaceutical industry to prepare single chiral molecules.

In addition, chiral molecules are also essential during chemical synthesis. The synthesis of one chiral molecule usually results in two chiral isomers, left-handed and right-handed. Unless otherwise specified, the products synthesized are often chiral mixtures. However, it is possible that only one of the chiral isomers has the desired activity or selectivity. Therefore, it is of great significance for the research and synthesis of chiral molecules. The study of

chiral and achiral molecules also extends to the fields of astrophysics and astrochemistry. Scientists have discovered that there are chiral molecules in the universe. These chiral molecules may be due to the existence of life, or formed by other physical or chemical mechanisms. For understanding the origin of the universe and the origin of life, it is of great significance to study the formation and distribution of chiral molecules.

summarize, the distinction between chiral and achiral molecules has important implications in the world of chemistry and the microcosm. The study of chiral molecules has far-reaching implications for the pharmaceutical industry, chemical synthesis, and the understanding of the universe and the origin of life. Understanding this difference will help us better understand the subtleties of the microscopic world and the wonderful journey of our own existence.

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