REACTIVITY OF ENATIOMERS

Reactivity of enantiomers can be seen through several reaction such as racemization, method of
resolution, reaction with chiral molecule and achiral molecule. Enantiomers show different
reactivity in all reactions.
Racemization is conversion a pure

enantiomers into amixture where more than one of

enantiomers are present. The product from conversion of enantiomers to .Racemization produce
mixture R and S enantiomers in equal quatities called racemic mixture (racemate/racemic).
Characteristic of racemate is they have same amount of rotation on plane polarized light but
rotate in opposite direction. It will produce optically inactive because enantiomer since the equal
and opposite rotation are cancel. For example, pyruvic acid undergoes racemization with
hydrogen gas and produce R and S lactic acid.

Resolution is separation of racemic mixture into its two optically active components. Resolution
reverse reaction racemization. One of the ways are differential absorption. This kind of
separation is done by placing a racemic mixture on a chromatographic column. The mixture will
move along the column at different rates it they contains chiral substances. The separation can be
done by using gas and liquid chromatography by chiral absorbents packing the columns.

Enantiomer also react at different rates with other chiral compound. Chiral molecules are
optically active .They will rotate on plane polarized light in same amount in opposite direction.
Reaction of enatiomers with other chiral compound are specific. This is the reason that many
compounds are biologically active while their enantiomers are not. As a example, R and S
glyceraldehydes with enzyme. Enzyme are always chiral, often distinguish between two
enantiomers of a chiral substrate. R-glyceraldehyde able to bind to enzyme surface but not with
S-glyceraldehyde.

Enantiomers react at the same rate with achiral compounds. This due to achiral compound that
does not rotate the plane polarized light (optically inactive). So, all enantiomer which are chiral
able to rotate to bind to achiral compound. This is the reason enantiomers react at the same rate

with achiral compounds.For example, reaction between chiral gelator and achiral dopant.