Stereochemistry and Organic Chemistry

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Submit Abstract Register Now

Stereochemistry is the study of the static and dynamic aspects of the three-dimensional shapes of molecules. It has long provided a foundation for understanding organic structure and reactivity. At the same time, stereochemistry constitutes an intrinsically interesting research field in its own right. Many chemists find this area of study fascinating due simply to the aesthetic beauty associated with use of chemical structures, and the intriguing ability to combine the fields of geometry, topology, and chemistry in the study of three-dimensional shapes. In addition, there are extremely important practical ramifications of stereochemistry. Nature is inherently chiral because the building blocks of life (-amino acids, nucleotides, and sugars) are chiral and appear in nature in enantiomerically pure forms. Hence, any substances created by humankind to interact with or modify nature are interacting with a chiral environment. This is an important issue for bioorganic chemists, and a practical issue for pharmaceutical chemists. The Food and Drug Administration now requires that drugs be produced in enantiomerically pure forms, or that rigorous tests be performed to ensure that both enantiomers are safe.