BRAINCAKEOptical Isomers
A chiral molecule exists as two optical isomers, also called enantiomers. They are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. Optical isomerism is a type of stereoisomerism: both isomers have the same structural formula, but a different arrangement of groups in space.
Drawing optical isomers: use 3D formulae around the chiral carbon.
• Draw two bonds in the plane of the paper as ordinary lines.
• Draw one bond coming towards you as a solid wedge.
• Draw one bond going away from you as a dashed wedge.
Then draw the second isomer as the reflection of the first, with a vertical dashed line between them to represent the mirror.
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Key terms in this lesson
- optical activity
- The ability of a substance to rotate the plane of plane-polarised light.
More in Chirality
- Chirality
- Plane-Polarised Light
- Racemic Mixtures
- Racemates from Nucleophilic Addition
- Identifying Chiral Centres
All 6 lessons in Chirality · All Edexcel A-level Chemistry topics