Do enantiomers always have different physical properties?

1 Answer
Oct 24, 2015

In fact enantiomers should have identical chemical and physical properties. There is of course 1 proviso!

Explanation:

Enantiomers should have identical properties in an achiral environment. This makes sense on the basis that enantiomers are the same molecule, and are related by a mirror plane. Once we introduce chirality into the environment, for instance another chiral molecule or plane polarized light, the enantiomers may be differentiated both chemically and optically.