Stereochemistry gjr Stereochemistry gjr

Stereochemical Descriptors: Naming Molecules

The name of a molecule must describe its structure including any elements of stereochemistry. This post introduces stereochemical descriptors for alkenes and simple stereocentres. Although I no longer teach this at undergraduate level, it should be useful for those that do. I’ve also thrown in some tips on manipulating drawings containing stereochemistry.

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Stereochemistry gjr Stereochemistry gjr

An Introduction to Stereochemistry

The shape of molecules is vital to understanding their chemistry and properties. The simple geometry of each atom is only half the picture, and you must also consider stereoisomers. These are compounds that have all the same atoms and bonds yet are different due to their shape. Students often find this a daunting topic. This introduction just lays out the basics. Sometime in the future, I’ll go into more detail (as I do teach a postgraduate course on this topic!)

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