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Chapter 5Stereochemistry

Stereochemistry Slide 5-2

Stereoisomers

• Same bonding sequence• Different arrangement in space• Example: HOOC-CH=CH-COOH

has two geometric (cis-trans) isomers:

H

COOHCOOH

H H

HCOOH

COOH

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-3

Chirality

• “Handedness”: right glove doesn’t fit the left hand.• Mirror-image object is different from the original object.

Stereochemistry Slide 5-4

Chirality in Molecules• The cis isomer is achiral.• The trans isomer is chiral.• Enantiomers: nonsuperimposable mirror images, different

molecules.

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-5

Stereocenters• Any atom at which the exchange of two groups yields a

stereoisomer.• Examples:

• Asymmetric carbons• Double-bonded carbons in cis-trans isomers

Stereochemistry Slide 5-6

Chiral Carbons• Tetrahedral carbons with 4 different attached groups are

chiral (or stereogenic).• If there is only one chiral carbon in a molecule, its mirror

image will be a different compound (enantiomer).

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-7

Mirror Planes of Symmetry• If two groups are the same, carbon is achiral.• A molecule with an internal mirror (a sigma plane of symmetry)

plane cannot be chiral, even if it has chiral carbons. Thesecompounds are called meso.

Caution! If there isno plane ofsymmetry, moleculemay be chiral orachiral. See ifmirror image can besuperimposed.

Stereochemistry Slide 5-8

(R), (S) Nomenclature• Different molecules must have different names• Enantiomers, since they are different molecules, must have

different names, since their structural names will be thesame.

• Usually only one enantiomer will be biologically active.• Configuration around the

chiral carbon is specifiedwith (R) and (S).

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-9

Cahn-Ingold-Prelog Rules• Assign a priority number to each group attached to the

chiral carbon. If more than one chiral carbon is present,do these steps for each chiral carbon one at a time,independent of the other chiral carbons.

• Atom with highest atomic number assigned the highestpriority #1.

• In case of ties, look at the next atom(s) along the chain.• Double and triple bonds are treated like bonds to duplicate

atoms.

Stereochemistry Slide 5-10

Dealing with Multiple Bonds

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-11

Assign Priorities

H

CC

C

H

C

O

OH

O

HO

maleic acid, mp 138 C toxic irritant

I

C C

HC CN

HH

Cl

H2C

Stereochemistry Slide 5-12

Assign (R) or (S)• Working in 3D, rotate molecule so that lowest priority group is in

back.• Draw an arrow from highest to lowest priority group.• Clockwise = (R), Counterclockwise = (S)

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-13

Properties of Enantiomers• Same boiling point, melting point, density• Same refractive index• Different direction of light rotation in polarimeter• Different interaction with other chiral molecules

– Enzymes– Taste buds, scent

Stereochemistry Slide 5-14

Plane-Polarized Light

• Polarizing filter –calcite crystals orplastic sheet.

• When two filters areused, the amount oflight transmitteddepends on the angleof the axes.

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-15

Polarimetry• Use monochromatic light, usually sodium D• Movable polarizing filter to measure angle• Clockwise = dextrorotatory = d or (+)• Counterclockwise = levorotatory = l or (-)• Not related to (R) and (S)

Stereochemistry Slide 5-16

Specific RotationObserved rotation depends on the length of the cell andconcentration, as well as the strength of optical activity,temperature, and wavelength of light.

[α] = α (observed)c • l

c is concentration in g/mLl is length of path in decimeters.

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-17

Calculate [α]D

• A 1.00-g sample is dissolved in 20.0 mL ethanol. 5.00 mLof this solution is placed in a 20.0-cm polarimeter tube at 25°C. The observed rotation is 1.25° counterclockwise.

Stereochemistry Slide 5-18

Biological Discrimination

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-19

Racemic Mixtures

• Equal quantities of d- and l-enantiomers.• Notation: (d,l) or (±)• No optical activity.• The mixture may have different b.p. and m.p. from the

enantiomers!

Stereochemistry Slide 5-20

Racemic ProductsIf optically inactive reagents combine to form a chiralmolecule, a racemic mixture of enantiomers is formed.

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-21

Optical Purity

• Also called enantiomeric excess (or ee).• Amount of pure enantiomer in excess of the racemic

mixture.• If o.p. = 50%, then the observed rotation will be only 50%

of the rotation of the pure enantiomer.• Mixture composition would be 75-25.

Stereochemistry Slide 5-22

Calculate % Composition

The specific rotation of (S)-2-iodobutane is+15.90°. Determine the % composition of amixture of (R)- and (S)-2-iodobutane if thespecific rotation of the mixture is -3.18°.

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-23

Chirality of Conformers

• If equilibrium exists between two chiral conformers,molecule is not chiral.

• Judge chirality by looking at the most symmetricalconformer.

• Cyclohexane can be considered to be planar, on average.

Stereochemistry Slide 5-24

Mobile Conformers

Nonsuperimposable mirror images,but equal energy and interconvertible.

Use planarapproximation.

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-25

Nonmobile ConformersIf the conformer is sterically hindered, it may exist as

enantiomers. No R, S designation possible!

Stereochemistry Slide 5-26

Allenes

• Chiral compounds with no chiral carbon• Contains sp hybridized carbon with adjacent double bonds: -

C=C=C-• End carbons must have different groups.

Allene is achiral.

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-27

Fischer Projections• Flat drawing that represents a 3D molecule.• A chiral carbon is at the intersection of horizontal and

vertical lines.• Horizontal lines are forward, out-of-plane.• Vertical lines are behind the plane.

Stereochemistry Slide 5-28

Fischer Rules• Carbon chain is on the vertical line.• Highest oxidized carbon at top.• Rotation of 180° in plane doesn’t change 3D relationships

in molecule; other rotations do!.• Do not rotate 90°!• Do not turn over out of plane!

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-29

(S)-Lactic Acid

Stereochemistry Slide 5-30

Manipulations of Fischer Projections

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-31

Fischer Mirror Images

• Easy to draw, easy to find enantiomers, easy to findinternal mirror planes.

• Examples:

CO2H

H Br

CO2H

Br H

CO2H

Br H

CO2H

H Br

CO2H

H Br

CO2H

H Br

Stereochemistry Slide 5-32

Fischer (R) and (S)• Lowest priority (usually H) comes forward, so assignment

rules are will be used backwards!• ONLY works with correct Fischer projections.• Clockwise 1-2-3 is (S) and counterclockwise 1-2-3 is (R).• Example:

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-33

Diastereomers

• Stereoisomers that are not mirror images.• Geometric isomers (cis-trans).• Molecules with 2 or more chiral carbons.

Stereochemistry Slide 5-34

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-35

Alkenes

Cis-trans isomers are not mirror images, so these arediastereomers. Special; called geometric isomers.

Stereochemistry Slide 5-36

Ring Compounds

• Cis-trans isomers possible.• May also have enantiomers.• Example: trans-1,2-dimethylcyclopentane.

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-37

Two or More Chiral Carbons• Enantiomer? Diastereomer? Meso? Assign (R) or (S) to

each chiral carbon.• Enantiomers have opposite configurations at each

corresponding chiral carbon.• Diastereomers have some matching, some opposite

configurations.• Meso compounds have internal mirror plane.• Maximum number of all stereoisomers is 2n, where n = the

number of chiral carbons.• Maximum number of diastereomers is (2n)/2, where n =

the number of chiral carbons.

Stereochemistry Slide 5-38

Examples

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-39

Fischer-Rosanoff Convention• Before 1951, only relative configurations could be known.• Sugars and amino acids with same relative configuration as

(+)-glyceraldehyde were assigned D and same as (-)-glyceraldehyde were assigned L.

• With X-ray crystallography, now know absoluteconfigurations: D is (R) and L is (S) but only for cases wherethe absolute configuration can be correlated.

• No relationship to dextro- or levorotatory.

Stereochemistry Slide 5-40

D and L Assignments

CHO

H OH

OH H

H OH

H OH

CH2OH

CHO

H OH

CH2OH

CHO

HO H

H OH

CH2OH

D-(+)-glucose D-(+)-(R)-glyceraldehyde D-(-)-threose

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-41

Properties of Diastereomers

• Diastereomers have different physical properties: m.p., b.p.• They can be separated easily.• Enantiomers differ only in reaction with other chiral

molecules and the direction in which polarized light isrotated.

• Enantiomers are difficult to separate.

Stereochemistry Slide 5-42

Resolution of EnantiomersReact a racemic mixture with a chiral compound to formdiastereomers, which can be separated.

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Stereochemistry Slide 5-43

Chromatographic Resolution of Enantiomers

Stereochemistry Slide 5-44

Chapter 5 Homework:26, 27-30, 31c, 31e, 31f, 31h, 34, 36, 37,

39 (models will help)