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Isomer: Difference between revisions
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[[File:File_Chirality_with_hands.png|thumb|right|Two enantiomers of a generic amino acid that is chiral.]] | [[File:File_Chirality_with_hands.png|thumb|right|Two enantiomers of a generic amino acid that is chiral.]] | ||
An enantiomer is one of two stereoisomers that are mirror images of each other that are non-superimposable (not identical). The model used to convey the idea of isomers being non-superimposable is a person's hands. One's left and right hands are the same except for opposite orientation. Organic compounds that contain a chiral carbon usually have two non-superimposable structures. A chiral carbon is a carbon attached to four completely different functional groups. The enantiomers will have a "left-hand" and a "right-hand" molecule. This property is used in naming the isomers: the "right-hand" is given the prefix (R), and the "left-hand" is given the prefix (S). Enantiomers rotate in plane-polarized light, and this property is also used in naming the enantiomers as either clockwise (prefix of dextro- or +) or anti-clockwise (prefix of levo or -). | An enantiomer is one of two stereoisomers that are mirror images of each other that are non-superimposable (not identical). The model used to convey the idea of isomers being non-superimposable is a person's hands. One's left and right hands are the same except for opposite orientation. Organic compounds that contain a chiral carbon usually have two non-superimposable structures. A chiral carbon is a carbon attached to four completely different functional groups. The enantiomers will have a "left-hand" and a "right-hand" molecule. This property is used in naming the isomers: the "right-hand" is given the prefix (R), and the "left-hand" is given the prefix (S). Enantiomers rotate in plane-polarized light, and this property is also used in naming the enantiomers as either clockwise (prefix of dextro- or +) or anti-clockwise (prefix of levo or -). | ||
===Nomenclature=== | |||
Often, the <small>D</small>/<small>L</small> system (with small caps) and the <small>d</small>/<small>l</small> system (with lower-case) are confused. The result is that the levorotary <small>l</small>-ephedrine is wrongly named <small>L</small>-ephedrine and the dextrorotary <small>d</small>-pseudoephedrine (the diastereomer) wrongly <small>D</small>-pseudoephedrine. | |||
== Chirality == | == Chirality == | ||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist|2}} | {{reflist|2}} | ||
[[Category:Chemistry]] | |||
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