Synthesis of enantiomerically enriched compounds

The synthesis of enantiomerically enriched compounds involves creating molecules with a preference for one "hand" (enantiomer) over the other. Since chiral compounds have mirror-image forms, chemists use specialized methods—like chiral catalysts or starting materials—to steer the chemical reactions toward producing mostly one enantiomer. This is important in pharmaceuticals, where one enantiomer can be effective while the other might be less active or cause side effects. The goal is to achieve high purity of the desired enantiomer, ensuring safety and efficacy in final products.