BIOCHEM - enantiomers

isomers

molecules that have the same molecular/chemical formula but have different structural formula or arrangement of atoms

constitutional isomers

also known as structural isomers; share the same molecular formula but have different bonding patterns and atomic organization (different connectivity); are not limited to alkanes

stereoisomers

have the same molecular formula and same connectivity but have different 3D structures or arrangement in space

configurational

isomers that cannot be converted into one another by rotating the molecule

conformational

differ only in the temporary way the molecule arrange itself; easily interconverted by rotating or twisting

stereochemistry

3-dimensional arrangement of atoms in space

enantiomers

non-superimposable mirror image isomers

chirality

from the Greek word for hand

enantiomers

are said to be chiral

chirality

assigned to a carbon having 4 different groups attached to it

chiral

when there is no way to rotate its mirror image to line it up perfectly from the original

achiral

if molecules contain a plane of symmetry and are superimposable on their mirror image

chirality center or stereogenic center

where the four different group is attached

achiral

any molecule with a plane of symmetry or a center of symmetry

light

used to tell enantiomers apart

optical activity

enantiomers have the same chemical and physical properties, but different in their…

optically active

molecules enriched in an enantiomer will rotate plane polarized light are said to be…

ordinary light

has many planes or has lights that oscillates in many directions

polarizer

used to let light waves of a specific polarization to pass through while blocking light waves of other polarization

plain polarized light

light that oscillates in only one plane

polarimeter

used to measure the angle of the plain polarized light

levorotatory

enantiomers of chiral molecules that turn the light toward the left are called

dextrorotatory

enantiomers of chiral molecules that turn the light toward the right are called

dash

indicates that an atom attachment is away from you

wedges

indicates that an atom attachment is toward you

fischer projections

representation of a 3-dimensional molecule as a flat structure

horizontal line

what line in fischer projection indicates that an attachment is going toward you

vertical line

what line in fischer projection indicates that an attachment is going away from you

same magnitude but in opposite directions

enantiomers will rotate plane polarized light in …

r-enantiomer

going clockwise; mostly good

s-enantiomer

going counterclockwise; mostly bad

diastereomers

have the same groups attached but are non-mirror image stereoisomers

diastereomers

occurs when more than one chiral centers are present in a molecule

mesocompounds

has two chirality centers but is symmetric from each other

meso

molecules that contain chiral atoms but are achiral because they possess a plane of symmetry

lowest priority group

group that is pointing away from us; represented by dashes

highest priority group

group that is pointing toward us; represented by wedges