The preferential formation in a chemical reaction of one stereoisomer over another.
When the
stereoisomers are enantiomers, the phenomenon is called
enantioselectivity and is quantitatively expressed by the
enantiomer excess;
when they are
diastereoisomers, it is called diastereoselectivity and is quantitatively expressed by the
diastereoisomer excess.
Source:
PAC, 1996, 68, 2193
(Basic terminology of stereochemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1996))
on page 2219
See also:
PAC, 1994, 66, 1077
(Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1994))
on page 1167
Cite as:
IUPAC. Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book"). Compiled by
A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford (1997).
XML on-line corrected version: http://goldbook.iupac.org (2006-) created by M. Nic,
J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN 0-9678550-9-8.
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.
