Ch. 5 – Stereochemistry Flashcards
What is stereochemistry?
3D structure of a molecule
What is a polymer?
large molecule composed of repeating smaller units (monomers) bonded covalently
What is starch?
main carbs of seeds, roots of plants
hydrolyzes to form glucose
(isomer of cellulose)
What is cellulose?
gives rigidity to stems/trunks
nature’s most abundant organic chemical
(isomer of starch)
How are starch and cellulose related?
isomers, differ in the position of the O atom that joins rings together
cellulose: O joins rings with 2 equatorial bonds
starch: O joins rings with 1 eq, 1 axial. bond
What are isomers?
different compounds with same chemical formula
What are stereoisomers?
different compounds, differ only in 3D space
Does a different 3D structure cause different properities?
YES
What are constitutional isomers?
differ in atom connectivities (also called structural isomers)
Do constitutional isomers have the same functional groups?
can be the same or different, usually different
Do constitutional isomer have same physical properties? Can they separated by physical techniques?
different phys properties so separable by phys techniques
Do constitutional isomers have the same or different chemical properties?
different
Do constitutional isomers have the same or different IUPAC names?
different
Do stereoisomers have the same or diff IUPAC names?
same (except for cis/trans prefixes)
Do stereoisomers have the same or diff functional groups?
same
What is a configuration?
a particular 3D arrangement
What does it mean to superimpose something?
align all parts of an object with its mirror image
What is a chiral molecule?
NOT superimposable on its mirror image
usually has stereogenic center and no plane of symmetry
What is an achiral molecule?
IS superimposable on its mirror image
usually has NO stereogenic center but HAS a plane of symmetry
How is chirality tested?
Draw 3D molecule
Draw mirror image
Try to align all bonds and atoms by rotation only (no breaking bonds)
What are enantiomers?
mirror image molecules that are NOT superimposable
What is a stereogenic center?
(for tetrahedral)
carbon atom with four different groups
- found in most chiral molecules
- interchange of 2 groups converts one enantiomer to another
If there is no st. center, the molecule is usually…
achiral
If there is one st. center, the molecule is…
always chiral
If there is two or more st. centers, the molecule…
might be chiral
What is a plane of symmetry?
mirror plane that cuts molecule in half
- achiral molecules usually have a plane of symmetry
T/F: Always omit all C atoms that can’t be tetrahedral (sp, sp2) when determining st. centers.
True, st. centers must be on sp3 carbons
How is an enantiomer pair drawn?
Place two bonds on a plane, one forward, one back
Arbitrarily place groups
Draw mirror image
OR
keep everything the same by convert wedges to dashes and vice versa
T/F: For any molecule with one tetrahedral st. center, it is a chiral compound and there exists a pair of enantiomers.
True
When labelling st. centers R and S, what is R and what is S?
R = clockwise S = counterclockwise