All Questions
Tagged with optical-properties stereochemistry
37
questions
14
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1
answer
8k
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Maximum observed optical rotation through a polarimeter
Is there a maximum optical rotation of plane polarized light that can be observed using a polarimeter?
I understand that in a polarimeter, light passes through a filter that converts it into plane ...
- 2,545
11
votes
1
answer
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Are there chiral compounds that don't rotate plane-polarized light?
I know that meso compounds have chiral centers but don't rotate plane-polarized light, and I know that there can be non-traditionally chiral compounds (e.g. ones with large substituents that prohibit ...
- 213
10
votes
1
answer
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How is plane polarized light rotated by chiral compounds? [duplicate]
There are plenty of questions related to this topic on this site but no proper answer.
Can anyone please explain to me how plane polarized light is rotated by chiral compounds, and why it cannot be ...
- 177
9
votes
2
answers
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Why do only chiral molecules rotate the plane of polarized light and how do they rotate it?
I have learnt that only chiral or unsymmetrical molecules can rotate the plane of linearly polarized light. But, why is it so?
And how can molecules rotate the plane or what does it actually mean by ...
- 3,345
8
votes
2
answers
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Does inversion of configuration necessitate reversed optical rotation?
Say, optically pure 2-bromobutane undergoes $\mathrm{S_N2}$ reaction with an alkali to form 2-butanol. The configuration about chiral carbon will now be inverted, but is it necessary that the sign of ...
- 365
8
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1
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What are chiral environments?
I keep seeing the term cropping up, but cannot seem to find a definition for it. My understanding is that it is an environment in which, when the isomers interact with the environment, the two ...
- 1,697
8
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1
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Why are complexes of type MA3B3 not optical active?
Complexes of type $\ce{MA3B3}$ have two geometrical isomers, namely:
fac-isomer
mer-isomer
If we look closely at the mer-isomer, it has a plane of symmetry, so it is optically inactive.
But the fac-...
- 111
7
votes
1
answer
2k
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What is there in this 3D representation of organic molecules I fail to grasp?
I think there's a basic idea I'm missing about 3 Dimensional representation of molecules. I think it may be about converting to Fischer representation. Consider the following two products of ...
- 217
7
votes
0
answers
372
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What compound has the strongest optical rotation of polarised light?
A question recently asked here whether compounds know to be chiral can have non-measurable optical rotations: Are there chiral compounds that don't rotate plane-polarized light?.
Apparently they ...
- 37k
6
votes
2
answers
16k
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Is tetraammine dichloro cobalt (III) an optically active compound?
Is
$$ \text{Co}[{(\text{N}{\text{H}}_{3})}_{4}{\text{Cl}}_{2}]$$
optically active? If so, write its stereo-isomers.
I know that for a compound to be optically active, it should rotate the plane of ...
- 443
6
votes
1
answer
2k
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Are a meso compound and its mirror image isomers?
How are meso isomers even isomers? By definition, meso isomers are compounds that are superposable on their mirror images, but doesn't that mean that the mirror image is just the same compound?
Can ...
- 1,161
4
votes
1
answer
425
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Does syn-dihydroxylation form racemic mixture?
I have been asked to determine the nature of the product for the following reaction:
And as I recognized this reaction to be a case of syn-dihydroxylation, my obvious response was that the product ...
- 462
4
votes
2
answers
824
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Can a system of 2 consecutive biphenyl systems be optically active , even if any adjacent biphenyl systems aren't optically active?
This question came in an online test, where they asked whether or not 22,26-dibromo-12,32-dichloro-23,25-diiodo-16,36-dimethyl-11,21:24,31-terphenyl was optically active.
The answer is that, it is ...
- 247
4
votes
0
answers
51
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Is optical activity of a given compound a statistical picture?
When optical activity is taught it is done in terms of single molecules. But when it is actually measured it is done on a large collection of such molecules. So, how does the asymmetry manifest itself ...
- 470
3
votes
1
answer
10k
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Finding chiral carbons in aromatic or cyclic compounds
I know that for a carbon to be chiral four different groups should be attached to that particular carbon. But, what about in the case of cyclic compounds? What's the method to check chirality if the ...
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