Optical purity

Optical purity refers to the degree to which a chemical compound exists in one specific chiral form (enantiomer) rather than a mixture of both. Chiral molecules have mirror-image versions that can influence how they interact biologically and chemically. When a sample is optically pure, it means it's mostly or entirely one enantiomer, which can result in more predictable behavior, especially in pharmaceuticals. Conversely, a mixture of enantiomers is called a racemate and may have different or reduced effects. Optical purity is typically measured using optical activity, indicating how much a substance rotates polarized light.