Question

What is meant by chiral centre?

Answer 1

A chiral center is defined as an atom in a molecule that is bonded to four different chemical species, allowing for optical isomerism. It is a stereocenter that holds a set of atoms (ligands) in space such that the structure may not be superimposed on its mirror image.

E.g.- The central carbon in serine is a chiral carbon. The amino group and hydrogen can rotate about the carbon.