Molecules that are optical isomers, or mirror images, of one another. Enantiomers can be distinguished by the direction in which they rotate the plane of polarization of polarized light and are referred to, therefore, as being dextrorotatory (D-) or laevorotatory (L-). Enantiomers can exist when the...
stereoisomers that are mirror images of each other and nonsuperimposable
Stereoisomers that are nonsuperimposable complete mirror images of each other. See also: Racemic Mixture, Stereoisomerism.