• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
Chirality, Defined
An object is
chiral 
if the mirror image of the object in “non-superimposable” – that is, if you reflect an object through a mirror, that reflection is not identical to the originalobject. The most obvious example is the left and right hand; a left-handed glove will notfit on the right hand, because they are non-superimposable.Example:Chirality in shells. On the right (b) are two differently-handed shells of the same snailspecies. Image modified from Grande, C.; Patel, N. H. Nature
2009
, 1007-1011The same definition applies to molecules. If a molecule has a non-identical mirror image,the molecule is chiral. If the mirror image is identical, it is achiral.
 
Examples:
NH
2
H
3
COOHNH
2
CH
3
OHOCCF
3
ClHBr CCF
3
Cl HBr HOCH
3
OHCH
3
CCF
3
ClHHCCF
3
Cl HHChiral Molecules Achiral Molecules
Examples of chiral (left) and achiral (right) molecules.Another way to identify achiral molecules is to find a mirror plane in the molecule.A mirror plane means that two halves of a molecule are symmetrical; if you can find away to duplicate half of a molecule to generate the other half, you’ve found a mirror  plane.Example:
cis
-1,3 dimethylcyclohexane.As shown in the table above,
cis
-1,3 dimethylcyclohexane is achiral – its mirror image issuperimposable.
Rotate 120
o
is identical to
 
Therefore, there must be a mirror plane in this molecule (dotted line).
Split the ring in half along these two carbons.Each half is identical!
The second example of an achiral molecule in chart 1 is less obvious, but there is indeeda mirror plane. Splitting the molecule through the carbon of the CF
3
group, the chlorine,and the central carbon produces two identical halves. 
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...