Chirality in Organic Compounds: Amino Acids and Enantiomers

This lecture covers the importance of organic chemistry, focusing on the structures of common amino acids and the concept of chirality. It explains how the absence of a plane of symmetry in molecules determines chirality and discusses the separation of enantiomers. The lecture also delves into the optical activity of enantiomers, the measurement of specific rotation, and the determination of absolute configuration using Cahn-Ingold-Prelog rules. Additionally, it explores examples of chiral compounds, the distinction between racemic mixtures and optically pure samples, and methods for measuring enantiomeric excess. The importance of chiral compounds in nature and their impact on biological systems is highlighted.