Chemical Forums
Chemistry Forums for Students => Undergraduate General Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: Johndewey on March 21, 2020, 07:39:07 PM
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Quick question!
What is necessary for a compound to have chiral centers and still have an internal mirror plane?
Given: A chiral center is an sp3 hybridized atom with 4 different groups attached to it. A meso compound is a compound that is achiral, but contains chiral centers. An internal mirror plane is a plane that can split through a compound, and all atoms on one side of the plane are mirrored on the other side of the plane.
Just want a clarifying answer! Thank you so much!
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By the way, this is an organic chemistry related question.
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Quick demonstration: The term 'chiral' comes from your hands, as you know. Right hand, chiral, left hand, chiral. Now, open up your fingers and put your hands together so only the bottom of the palms touch, facing you. Both thumbs facing down, little fingers facing up. Two chiral centres, meso- double-hand.
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Assume that there are only two centers of chirality. For example take the meso-form of tartaric acid, and you change one hydroxyl group to an amino group, could there still be a meso-form of that compound?