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Le Bel-van't Hoff rule states that for a structure with n asymmetric carbon atoms, there is a maximum of 2 n different stereoisomers possible. As an example, D-glucose is an aldohexose and has the formula C 6 H 12 O 6. Four of its six carbon atoms are stereogenic, which means D-glucose is one of 2 4 =16 possible stereoisomers. [20] [21]
However, the stereoisomers produced may also give a meso compound, which is an achiral compound that is superposable on its mirror image; the presence of a meso compound will reduce the number of possible stereoisomers. [4] Since a meso compound is superposable on its mirror image, the two "stereoisomers" are actually identical.
Stereochemistry, a subdiscipline of chemistry, studies the spatial arrangement of atoms that form the structure of molecules and their manipulation. [1] The study of stereochemistry focuses on the relationships between stereoisomers, which are defined as having the same molecular formula and sequence of bonded atoms (constitution) but differing in the geometric positioning of the atoms in space.
Each stereocenter gives rise to two different configurations and thus typically increases the number of stereoisomers by a factor of two. Diastereomers differ from enantiomers in that the latter are pairs of stereoisomers that differ in all stereocenters and are therefore mirror images of one another. [ 3 ]
As an example, four of the carbon atoms of the aldohexose class of molecules are asymmetric, therefore the Le Bel–Van 't Hoff rule gives a calculation of 2 4 = 16 stereoisomers. This is indeed the case: these chemicals are two enantiomers each of eight different diastereomers : allose , altrose , glucose , mannose , gulose , idose , galactose ...
Isomeric relationships form a hierarchy. Two chemicals might be the same constitutional isomer, but upon deeper analysis be stereoisomers of each other. Two molecules that are the same stereoisomer as each other might be in different conformational forms or be different isotopologues. The depth of analysis depends on the field of study or the ...
Of the three stereoisomers, two are enantiomers (levo- and dextro-2,3-butanediol) and one is a meso compound. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] The enantiomeric pair have (2 R , 3 R ) and (2 S , 3 S ) configurations at carbons 2 and 3, while the meso compound has configuration (2 R , 3 S ) or, equivalently, (2 S , 3 R ).
A molecule may contain any number of stereocenters and any number of double bonds, and each usually gives rise to two possible isomers. A molecule with an integer n describing the number of stereocenters will usually have 2 n stereoisomers, and 2 n−1 diastereomers each having an associated pair of enantiomers.