Table of Contents
What are Stereoisomers? ; Difference Between Enantiomers and Diastereomers ; and What is an Optical Isomer?
Stereoisomers are molecules that have the same chemical formula but different three-dimensional structures. This means that they are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. Enantiomers are a specific type of stereoisomer that are mirror images of each other that cannot be superimposed. Diastereomers are stereoisomers that are not mirror images of each other and can be superimposed. Optical isomers are a specific type of enantiomer that are mirror images of each other that rotate plane-polarized light in opposite directions.
Stereoisomers Definition
A stereoisomer is a molecule that has the same molecular formula as another molecule, but a different spatial arrangement of its atoms.
Chirality
A molecule is said to be chiral if it has a non-identical mirror image. The mirror image of a chiral molecule is not identical to the molecule itself. This is because chiral molecules have a handedness, meaning they can be rotated around a vertical axis and still look the same. The left and right hand of a chiral molecule are not identical.
The 2n Rule
The 2n Rule states that the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom is equal to the number of electrons in the atom. This is because the number of protons in an atom determines the atom’s charge, and the number of electrons in an atom balances the atom’s charge.
Meso Compounds
Organo-metallic compounds are called meso compounds.
Examples of meso compounds are:
1) Dimethylzinc (CH3)2Zn
2) Trimethylaluminium (CH3)3Al
