Stereochemistry, the chemistry of organic compounds in three dimensions, helps in understanding the pathway of chemical transformations and plays a very special role in drugs. The most interesting example is the case of the drug Thalidomide, which was taken in Europe during pregnancy to avoid morning sickness. This disease (which was mixture of (R) and (S) enantiomers) caused catastrophic birth defects to children born to women who took Thalidomide. It was subsequently found that the (R) enantiomer had the desired effect and the (S) enantiomer was responsible for abnormalities. There are a large number of cases recorded in literature having different effects of the enantiomers. The object of writing this book is to provide a simple way in understanding various aspects of stereochemistry.
It is hoped that the book will be useful to undergraduate and postgraduate students of all colleges and universities. Besides, chemists working in chemical industries, particularly in research and development wing will find this book of immense use.