MUNI UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF SCIENCE

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

CHM 2105: STEREOCHEMISTRY ASSIGNMENT 1 WORK.

STUDENT NAME:OTIM JAMES AMBROSS

STUDENT NUMBER:1901200188

REGISTRATION NUMBER:2019/U/SMP/00188

ANSWERS.

QUESTION 1.

Part (A)

(a)(i)Enantiomers are chiral molecules which are non-superimposable mirror images of each
other.Enantiomers are optical isomers.

(ii)Diastereomers are the stereomer compounds with molecules that are not mirrored images
of one another and that are not superimposable. In addition diastereomers are not mirror
images of each other and non-superimposable.

(iii)Plane of symmetry is an imaginary plane that bisects a molecule into halves that are mirror
images of each other.

(iv)Centre of symmetry is any point in space such that any group on the molecule can be
reflected back through that point an equal distance but opposite direction and an equivalent
group are found. A molecule has a centre of symmetry when an atom in the molecule, an
identical atom exists diametrically opposite this centre an equal distance from it.

Centre of symmetry is also called centre of inversion, denoted by Ci.

(v)Racemic mixture, also called racemate, a mixture of equal quantities of two enantiomers, or
substances that have dissymmetric molecular structures that are mirror images of one another.

(vi)Meso compound is an achiral compound that has multiple chiral centers. It is superimposed
on its mirror image and is optically inactive despite its stereocenters.

(vii)Specific rotation is a property of a chiral chemical compound and it's defined as the change
in orientation of monochromatic plane-polarized light, per unit distance–concentration
product, as the light passes through a sample of a compound in solution.

(viii) Optical activity is the property of a compound being able to rotate the plane of
polarization of plane-polarized light.The compound with such activity is labelled as optical
active.

(ix) Enantiomeric excess is the excess of one enantiomer over the other in a mixture of
enantiomers. That is it refers to the degree to which a sample contains one enantiomer in
greater amounts than the other in a non- racemic mixture

Part (b)

The differences between chiral compound and achiral compound are as follows;

 Chiral compound is asymmetrical in such a way that the structure and it's mirror image
are not superimposable while achiral compound is symmetric in such a way that it can
be superimposed on its mirror image.
 For chiral compound, molecules are always asymmetrical at one or more centers while
in achiral compound, molecules are always symmetric at every center.
 The chiral compound and it's mirror image are non superimposable while for achiral
compound and it's mirror image are superimposable.
 The molecules can rotate the plane-polarized light clockwise or anticlockwise in chiral
compound while the molecules cannot rotate plane-polarized light in any direction for
achiral compound.
  Chiral compound often have enantiomers since stereoisomerism is present while achiral
compound do not have enantiomers.
 Chiral compound have both R and S molecular configurations while achiral compound
doesn't have R and S molecular configurations.

Part (C)

(i) Cis isomer

(ii) Trans isomer

(iii)E isomer

(iv)Z isomer

Part (D)

(i) Disasteromer

(ii)Enantiomer

(iii) Enantiomer

(iv)Diastereomer

Part (E)
Part F
Part (G)

g(ii)
References.

 https://www.vedantu.com/chemistry/difference-between-enantiomers-and-
diastereomers on 29th/08/2021 at 9:00am
 https://www.britannica.com/science/racemate on 29th/08/2021 at 9:20am
 https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Organic_Chemistry/
Supplemental_Modules_(Organic_Chemistry)/Chirality/Meso_Compounds on
29th/08/2021 at 9:23am.
 https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/organicchemistry/chapter/5-3-chirality/ on 29th/08/2021
at 9:30pm.
 http://www.chem.ucla.edu/~harding/IGOC/E/enantiomeric_excess.html on
29th/08/2021 at 9:38am.
 https://groups.molbiosci.northwestern.edu/holmgren/Glossary/Definitions/Def-C/
chiral_compound.html on 29th/08/2021 at 10:04am
 http://www.differencebetween.net/science/difference-between-chiral-and-achiral/ on
29th/08/2021 at 11:00am.