Isomers (Part 2 of 2)

You can find the first part of this series here: Isomers (Part 1 of 2).

Chirality

• A molecule is chiral if it is not superimposable on it’s mirror image
• Most chiral molecules can be identified by their lack of a plane, or centre of symmetry
• Your hand for example, is a chiral object
• The most common cause of chirality in a molecule is an atom that is bonded to four different groups
  • The atom that has 4 different groups is called the stereocenter

This molecule has 2 chiral centres. Two of the atoms have 4 different groups bonded to them

A chiral molecule that has stereocentres can have multiple three dimensional representations. In general, a chiral molecule with stereocenters has 2ⁿ different forms; where n = number of stereocenters in the molecule.

Diastereomers

Diastereomers are stereoisomers that are not mirror images of one another and are non-superimposable on one another.

• Not mirror images of one another ✓
• Non-superimposable ✓

∴ They are diastereomers

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