What is Optical Isomerism?
Optical Isomerism is a kind of stereoisomerism which occurs when molecules are mirror images of one another but are not superimposable, despite sharing the same molecular and structural formulas. Because of their chiral centre, these molecules are also referred to as chiral molecules.
Optical Isomerism Definition
Optical Isomerism is defined as the property of organic compounds in which they have same molecular and structural formula but have non-superimposable images
Significance of Optical Isomerism in Chemistry
Optical isomerism is significant in substances that rotate the plane of polarized light, and the amount of rotation is dependent on various factors such as the concentration of the substance in the solution, the path length of the sample tube, the wavelength of the incident light, and the nature of the substance itself.
Optical Isomerism Example
One of the example of Optical isomerism is Butan-2-ol where the four carbons can be arranged in 3D space in two ways such as they are mirror image of each other and also non-superimposable.
Optical Isomerism
Optical Isomerism is a property of Organic Compounds in which they have the same molecular and structural formula but they can’t superimpose on each other. This is due to the different arrangement of carbon atoms in three-dimensional space. The structures exhibiting Optical isomerism are called Optical Isomers. Optical Isomerism is one of the most important concepts in Organic Chemistry and helps to understand various difficult reactions.
In this article, we will learn what is optical isomerism, its significance, types, examples and many more things.
Table of Content
- What is Optical Isomerism?
- Optical Isomer Definition
- Chiral and Achiral Molecules
- What are Enantiomers?
- Type of Optical Isomers
- Structural Isomers vs Optical Isomers
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