What is the difference between chiral and stereocenter?

1 Answer
Nov 23, 2016

A stereocenter is a point in a molecule where changing the bonded atoms would lead to the formation of a stereoisomer. Stereoisomers can either be geometric or optical.

A chiral centre is a type of stereocentre where a carbon atom is bonded to four non-identical functional groups. Chiral centres form a certain type of stereoisomers called enantiomers, molecules which are mirror images of another.