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However, compounds that contain an even number of asymmetric atoms sometimes lack chirality because they are arranged in mirror-symmetric pairs, and are known as meso compounds. For instance, meso tartaric acid (shown on the right) has two asymmetric carbon atoms, but it does not exhibit enantiomerism because there is a mirror symmetry plane.
A meso compound or meso isomer is an optically inactive isomer in a set of stereoisomers, at least two of which are optically active. [1] [2] This means that despite containing two or more stereocenters, the molecule is not chiral. A meso compound is superposable on its mirror image (not to be confused with superimposable, as any two objects ...
The stereochemical term enantiotopic refers to the relationship between two groups in a molecule which, if one or the other were replaced, would generate a chiral compound. The two possible compounds resulting from that replacement would be enantiomers. For example, the two hydrogen atoms attached to the second carbon in butane are enantiotopic.
As a result, different enantiomers of a compound may have substantially different biological effects. Pure enantiomers also exhibit the phenomenon of optical activity and can be separated only with the use of a chiral agent. In nature, only one enantiomer of most chiral biological compounds, such as amino acids (except glycine, which is achiral ...
In organic chemistry, kinetic resolution is a means of differentiating two enantiomers in a racemic mixture.In kinetic resolution, two enantiomers react with different reaction rates in a chemical reaction with a chiral catalyst or reagent, resulting in an enantioenriched sample of the less reactive enantiomer. [1]
Chiral resolution, or enantiomeric resolution, [1] is a process in stereochemistry for the separation of racemic mixture into their enantiomers. [2] It is an important tool in the production of optically active compounds, including drugs. [3] Another term with the same meaning is optical resolution.
Compounds with these properties consist of chiral molecules and are said to have optical activity. If a chiral molecule is dextrorotary, its enantiomer (geometric mirror image) will be laevorotary, and vice versa. Enantiomers rotate plane-polarized light the same number of degrees, but in opposite directions.
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 ).