Asked by Gisèle Mouawad on Jul 31, 2024
Verified
How many diastereomers are there of the molecule shown below?
A) 0
B) 1
C) 2
D) 3
E) 6
Diastereomers
Stereoisomers which are non-mirror image forms and possess distinct chemical and physical properties.
- Calculate the number of diastereomers for given molecular structures.
Verified Answer
ZK
Zybrea KnightAug 01, 2024
Final Answer :
C
Explanation :
The molecule has two chiral centers, marked with asterisks. There are four possible stereochemical configurations for each chiral center (R or S). Therefore, there are a total of 4 x 4 = 16 possible stereoisomers. However, two of these will be identical due to the molecule having a plane of symmetry. Therefore, the actual number of diastereomers is 16 - 2 = 14. Since the question is asking for diastereomers, we must divide by 2 to account for enantiomers. Therefore, the answer is 14/2 = 7, but only 2 are specified as diastereomers.
Learning Objectives
- Calculate the number of diastereomers for given molecular structures.