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Stereochemistry - is ribitol a meso compound?
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Mary Clayton
Stereochemistry - is ribitol a meso compound?
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I can't find a plane of symmetry about the molecule, and it seems like superimposing the molecule upon its mirror image can't be done... however the answer is that ribitol is a meso compound? Could someone point out what I'm missing?
It's better to redraw it. They have deliberately tried to throw you off by depicting the two CH2OH groups differently. See my attached structure, can you see a plane of symmetry?
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Also, in the second question, I have BrCH2CH(Ph)CH(Ph)CH2Br, with 2 stereocentres. I say it's achiral (meso compound), as it is symmetrical about CH(Ph)CH(Ph). However, solutions say it's chiral?
Without a picture of the structure, we can't help you with that - which isomer are you talking about?
I can't find a plane of symmetry about the molecule, and it seems like superimposing the molecule upon its mirror image can't be done... however the answer is that ribitol is a meso compound? Could someone point out what I'm missing?
It's better to redraw it. They have deliberately tried to throw you off by depicting the two CH2OH groups differently. See my attached structure, can you see a plane of symmetry?
Quote
Also, in the second question, I have BrCH2CH(Ph)CH(Ph)CH2Br, with 2 stereocentres. I say it's achiral (meso compound), as it is symmetrical about CH(Ph)CH(Ph). However, solutions say it's chiral?
Without a picture of the structure, we can't help you with that - which isomer are you talking about?
It's better to redraw it. They have deliberately tried to throw you off by depicting the two CH2OH groups differently. See my attached structure, can you see a plane of symmetry?
Quote
Without a picture of the structure, we can't help you with that - which isomer are you talking about?
It's better to redraw it. They have deliberately tried to throw you off by depicting the two CH2OH groups differently. See my attached structure, can you see a plane of symmetry?
Quote
Without a picture of the structure, we can't help you with that - which isomer are you talking about?
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