https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C01058
The geometric property of a rigid object (or spatial arrangement of points or atoms) of being non-superposable on its mirror image; such an object has no symmetry elements of the second kind (a mirror plane, σ=S1, a centre of
inversion
, i=S2, a rotation-reflection axis, S2n). If the object is superposable on its mirror image the object is described as being
achiral
.
See also:
handedness
,
superposability
Sources:
Blue Book, p. 479 [Terms] [Book]
PAC, 1996, 68, 2193. (Basic terminology of stereochemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1996)) on page 2203 [Terms] [Paper]