Editing Enantioselective synthesis (section)

{{Short description|Chemical reaction(s) which favor one chiral isomer over another}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
[[File:Sharpless Dihydroxylation Scheme.png|thumb|500px|In the [[Sharpless dihydroxylation]] reaction the chirality of the product can be controlled by the "[[AD-mix]]" used. This is an example of enantioselective synthesis using [[asymmetric induction]]<br /><br />Key: R<sub>L</sub> = Largest substituent; R<sub>M</sub> = Medium-sized substituent; R<sub>S</sub> = Smallest substituent]]
[[File:Chirality with hands.svg|300px|thumb|Two enantiomers of a generic [[alpha amino acid]]
{{legend|black|[[Carbon]] at the [[chiral center]]}}
{{legend|#ff4500|[[Carboxylic acid]] group}}
{{legend|#00dfff|R group}}
{{legend|grey|[[Hydrogen]]}}]]
'''Enantioselective synthesis''', also called '''asymmetric synthesis''',<ref>{{GoldBookRef|title=asymmetric synthesis| file = A00484}}</ref> is a form of [[chemical synthesis]]. It is defined by [[IUPAC]] as "a [[chemical reaction]] (or reaction sequence) in which one or more new elements of [[Chirality (chemistry)|chirality]] are formed in a substrate molecule and which produces the [[stereoisomer]]ic ([[enantiomer]]ic or [[diastereomer]]ic) products in [[Enantiomeric excess|unequal amounts]]."<ref>{{GoldBookRef|title=stereoselective synthesis|file = S05990}}</ref>

Put more simply: it is the synthesis of a compound by a method that favors the formation of a specific enantiomer or diastereomer. Enantiomers are stereoisomers that have opposite configurations at every chiral center. Diastereomers are stereoisomers that differ at one or more chiral centers.

Enantioselective synthesis is a key process in modern chemistry and is particularly important in the field of [[pharmaceuticals]], as the different [[enantiomer]]s or [[diastereomer]]s of a molecule often have different [[biological activity]].