Eksperymentalne i teoretyczne oznaczanie konfiguracji absolutnej związków chiralnych metodami chiralooptycznymi

Chirality is of paramount importance in chemistry and life sciences. Electronic circular dichroism (ECD) as well as optical rotation (OR) are fundamental properties of chiral molecules. These chiroptical properties provide rich information about conformation and configuration of the molecules. Although empirical correlations between chiroptical phenomena, mostly ECD, and molecular stereochemistry have existed for some time, the development of new accurate theoretical methods opened new opportunities for correlation of chiroptical properties with structure. Computational chemistry has made an amazing progress during the past two decades, moving this highly specialized discipline into the mainstream, and making a renaissance in chiroptical methods. This short review is meant as an introduction to the modern approach to optical activity of chiral molecules. Some illustrative applications will put the emphasis on practical applications of the theoretical/experimental analysis of complex molecules including highly flexible bistramide C and noncovalently bonded donor-acceptor dyad. The importance of the solvent effect is briefly discussed and a typical methodology is described and its strengths and weak points are commented.