Enantioselectivity

Enantioselectivity refers to the ability of a chemical process or catalyst to produce a specific “mirror-image” form of a molecule, called an enantiomer, over the other. Enantiomers have the same molecular formula but differ in how their atoms are arranged in space, like left and right hands. Enantioselectivity is important in pharmaceuticals because one enantiomer of a drug may be beneficial while the other could be less effective or cause side effects. Achieving high enantioselectivity ensures that the desired enantiomer is produced predominantly, leading to safer and more effective products.