Show me an example.utkarshakash said:Homework Statement
What should be the condition for a compound to be meso?
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
I know that it should possesses a plane of symmetry. But what if it contains a point of symmetry...
Show me an example.… or alternate axis of symmetry instead of plane. Will the compound be called meso?
A meso compound is a type of stereoisomer that contains two or more chiral centers but is not optically active due to the presence of a plane of symmetry. This means that the molecule is superimposable on its mirror image.
A plane of symmetry is an imaginary plane that divides a molecule into two equal halves, each of which is a mirror image of the other. In a meso compound, the presence of a plane of symmetry results in the cancellation of the optical activity of the individual chiral centers.
A compound must have two or more chiral centers and a plane of symmetry to be meso. This means that the molecule must be symmetric along at least one axis, with identical groups on either side of the plane of symmetry.
No, a compound with only one chiral center cannot be meso. In order to be meso, a molecule must have two or more chiral centers and a plane of symmetry.
Some examples of meso compounds include tartaric acid, meso-stilbene dibromide, and meso-tartaric acid. These molecules all have two or more chiral centers and a plane of symmetry, which makes them meso compounds.