3.7: Optical Isomerism
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8 Terms
What is a stereoisomer?
Molecules that have the same structural formula but have the atoms arranged differently in space
What is a chiral centre?
A carbon atom that has four different atoms or groups of atoms attached to it
What is an enantiomer?
Compounds with a chiral centre that are non-superimposable images of each other
What does optically active/optically inactive mean?
Optically active: a substance which can rotate the plane of polarisation of plane polarised light
Optically inactive: substance which cannot rotate the plane of polarisation of plane-polarised light
What happens to enantiomers in plane polarised light?
If you have one enantiomer the plane of polarised light will rotate
What is a racemic mixture?
A mixture containing equal quantities of 2 enantiomers
Why do racemic mixtures have no affect on plane polarised light and why are they classed as optically inactive?
The angle of rotation caused is equal so they cancel eachother out
How are racemic mixtures formed?
Nucleophilic addition
The C=O bond is planar so CN- can attack either above or below the plane of the molecule, producing a racemic mixture