March 28, 2024, 10:17:01 PM
Forum Rules: Read This Before Posting


Topic: Meso Compounds Question!  (Read 901 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Johndewey

  • New Member
  • **
  • Posts: 4
  • Mole Snacks: +0/-0
Meso Compounds Question!
« on: March 21, 2020, 07:39:07 PM »
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!

Offline Johndewey

  • New Member
  • **
  • Posts: 4
  • Mole Snacks: +0/-0
Re: Meso Compounds Question!
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2020, 07:40:32 PM »
By the way, this is an organic chemistry related question.

Offline demoninatutu

  • Chemist
  • Regular Member
  • *
  • Posts: 33
  • Mole Snacks: +7/-1
Re: Meso Compounds Question!
« Reply #2 on: March 24, 2020, 04:15:03 AM »
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.

Offline Babcock_Hall

  • Chemist
  • Sr. Member
  • *
  • Posts: 5592
  • Mole Snacks: +319/-22
Re: Meso Compounds Question!
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2020, 04:48:32 PM »
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?

Sponsored Links