Welcome to Chem Zipper.com......: The term stereogenic center or stereocenter:

Search This Blog

Sunday, May 22, 2022

The term stereogenic center or stereocenter:

A stereogenic center is defined as an atom on which an interchange of any two atoms or groups result in a new stereoisomer, When the new stereoisomers is an enantiomer ,the stereocenter is called chiral center. All stereocenters are not tetrahedral.
First and second are enantiomers (non superimposible mirror images), Hence the steriocentre is a chiral centre.
III and IV are not enantiomers. they are diasteriomers hence in this case sterio centres are not chiral centres. Also these are not tetrahedral. Thus, all chiral centres are sterio centres but all steriocentres are not chiral centres. If a molecule contains only one chiral centres it must be chiral. Molecule containing two or more 
chiral centres may or may not be chiral. For example: meso tartaric acid has two chiral centres but it is achiral.


No comments:

Post a Comment