Enantiomers are stereoisomers that are mirror images of each other but cannot be superimposed, much like our left and right hands. They have identical physical and chemical properties but interact differently with plane-polarized light. Enantiomers often exhibit different biological activities, making their study crucial in fields such as pharmacology.

Diastereomers are stereoisomers that are not mirror images of each other. Unlike enantiomers, diastereomers can have different physical and chemical properties. These arise when molecules have multiple stereocenters, and at least one, but not all, of the stereocenters differs between the isomers.

Meso compounds are a special type of stereoisomer that possesses chiral centers but is achiral as a whole. This unique property arises when there is an internal plane of symmetry within the molecule. Even though it has stereocenters, meso compounds do not exhibit optical activity due to their internal symmetry.

Infrared Spectroscopy is a technique used to study molecular vibrations. It involves exposing a sample to infrared radiation, causing the molecular bonds to absorb energy. The resulting spectrum provides information about functional groups present in the molecule. Peaks on the spectrum correspond to specific vibrational modes, aiding in the identification of compounds. IR Spectroscopy is widely utilized in organic chemistry for compound analysis and structure determination.