CHEM 281 Lecture Notes - Asymmetric Carbon, Polarizer, Stereochemistry

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Chemistry
• Course: CHEM 281
• Professor: John Carran

Document Summary

Chirality & stereochemistry an object is achiral (not chiral) if the object and its mirror image are identical a chiral object is one that cannot be superposed on its mirror image. The biological significance of chirality chiral molecules: molecules that cannot be superimposable w/ their mirror images one enantiomer causes birth defects, the other cures morning sickness one enantiomer is a bronchodilator, the other inhibits platelet aggregation. Only way to figure out: see how inteacts w/ another chiral compound. Enzymes are chiral compounds : for transient diasteroisomers. Isomers: different compounds that have the same molecular formula: constitutional isomers: isomers that have the same molecular formula but different connectivity their atoms are connected in a different order. Stereoisomers have their atoms connected in the same sequence but they differ in the arrangement of their atoms in space the consideration of such spatial aspects of molecular structure is called stereochemistry. Geometrical isomers (cis & trans isomers) are: diastereomers.