CHEM 2301 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Dextrorotation And Levorotation, Enantiomeric Excess, Racemic Mixture
Document Summary
Stereochemistry = 3d structure of a molecule. Starch and cellulose are 2 polymers that are carbohydrate. Polymer = large molecule composed of repeating smaller units (monomer) that are covalently bonded together. Starch is the main carb in seeds and roots of plants. Humans consume starch which is hydrolyzed to glucose for energy. Cellulose is nature"s most abundant organic material - gives rigidity to tree trunks and stems. Cellulose & starch have the same monomers but differ in the position of the o atom that joins the rings together. In cellulose, the o atom joins 2 things using 2 equatorial bonds. In starch, the o atom joins 2 rings using 1 equatorial and 1 axial bond. They are isomers because they are different compounds with the same formula. They are stereoisomers because only the 3d arrangement of atoms is different. Cellulose has long chains held together by umf hydrogen bonds forming sheets that stack.
