A-Level CAIE Chemistry A2 29.4.4—Relevance of chirality to the synthetic Question Bank

• Explain the relevance of chirality to the synthetic preparation of drug molecules including:

- (a) the potential different biological activity of the two enantiomers

- (b) the need to separate a racemic mixture into two pure enantiomers

- (c) the use of chiral catalysts to produce a single pure optical isomer (Candidates should appreciate that compounds can contain more than one chiral centre, but knowledge

- of meso compounds and nomenclature such as diastereoisomers is not required.)