What are the similarities and differences between enantiomers, diastereomers, and meso compounds?

1 Answer
anor277
Jan 26, 2017

#"Enantiomers"# are non-superposable mirror images.......

Explanation:

#"Diastereomers"# are geometric isomers that are NOT mirror images. #"Cis"# and #"trans-2-butylene"# satisfies this definition.

#"Meso-compounds"# are geometric isomers that contain a centre of symmetry. Typically a #"meso-compound"# is a symmetric #RS# compound with 2 potential chiral centres, the which, upon reflection generates the same isomer, i.e. #RS-=SR#.

Nothing I say here will replace representing these diastereomers, and enantiomers with molecular models. It takes practice to represent their geometry, and to make it clear to an examiner that you appreciate the geometry.

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