How to identify diastereomers and enantiomers?
How to identify diastereomers and enantiomers?
ake a look at your hands - they are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. This means that they are mirror images of each other, but you can't stack them on top of each other and have them line up exactly the same.
Your hands are enantiomers of each other. This is because while your hands have the same connections (or fingers), they're attached in a different order. But, they're attached in the exact opposite order of each other, making them mirror images.
Now, imagine that your fingers got mixed up on your left hand, and now its thumb comes between the middle finger and the ring finger. Both hands still have the same connections (or fingers) but they are in a different order, just as with enantiomers. But, the difference is that your hands are no longer mirror images of each other. This would make them diastereomers.
So, stereoisomers (chemicals with the same connections, but different orientations) are broken into two main categories: enantiomers and diastereomers.
- An enantiomer is a stereoisomer that is a non-superimposable mirror image of each other
- A diastereomer is a stereoisomer with two or more stereocenters, and the isomers are not mirror images of each other
ake a look at your hands - they are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. This means that they are mirror images of each other, but you can't stack them on top of each other and have them line up exactly the same.
Your hands are enantiomers of each other. This is because while your hands have the same connections (or fingers), they're attached in a different order. But, they're attached in the exact opposite order of each other, making them mirror images.
Now, imagine that your fingers got mixed up on your left hand, and now its thumb comes between the middle finger and the ring finger. Both hands still have the same connections (or fingers) but they are in a different order, just as with enantiomers. But, the difference is that your hands are no longer mirror images of each other. This would make them diastereomers.
So, stereoisomers (chemicals with the same connections, but different orientations) are broken into two main categories: enantiomers and diastereomers.
- An enantiomer is a stereoisomer that is a non-superimposable mirror image of each other
- A diastereomer is a stereoisomer with two or more stereocenters, and the isomers are not mirror images of each other
