{"id":1671,"date":"2014-11-10T02:42:58","date_gmt":"2014-11-10T02:42:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/?p=1671"},"modified":"2014-11-10T02:42:58","modified_gmt":"2014-11-10T02:42:58","slug":"organic-chemistry-trick-12-stereochemistry-rs-configuration-like-record","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/organic-chemistry-trick-12-stereochemistry-rs-configuration-like-record\/","title":{"rendered":"Organic Chemistry Trick #12: Stereochemistry and R\/S Configuration &#8211; Like a record"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><\/h2>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Stereochemistry and R\/S configurations &#8211; You spin me right round baby right round. \u00a0Like a record baby.<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Performing 3-D visualizations of atomic stereochemistry is\u00a0one of the hardest aspects of organic chemistry for new students to learn and understand.\u00a0 One of the great aides in this area is a molecular modeling set, which will allow you to hold a representation of a tetrahedral carbon in your hands and rotate it yourself. \u00a0Another great way to do it is to use an online viewer (<a href=\"https:\/\/aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/jmole\/jsmetest-mp.htm\" target=\"_blank\">like the one here<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Along those lines, assigning R\/S configuration to a chiral carbon can be made more difficult if the lowest priority group is not in the rear.\u00a0 For example:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide14.png?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-1674\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide14-300x252.png?resize=177%2C149&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"stereochemistry\" width=\"177\" height=\"149\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide14.png?resize=300%2C252&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide14.png?resize=1024%2C862&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide14.png?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 177px) 100vw, 177px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>It not completely obvious that this is the R stereoisomer from this view.\u00a0 There are a couple of things that we can do to this molecule to make the configuration more apparent.\u00a0 First, we could think of this as a Newman projection instead of the standard tetrahedral carbon.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide15.png?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-1675\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide15-300x100.png?resize=372%2C124&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"R\/S Configuration\" width=\"372\" height=\"124\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide15.png?resize=300%2C100&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide15.png?resize=1024%2C341&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide15.png?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 372px) 100vw, 372px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The other (easier) way to do this is to just rotate the tetrahedral carbon.\u00a0 The way to do this is to freeze one of the groups and rotate the other three.\u00a0 As long as they are rotated and not switched, (they can be rotated in either direction, clockwise or counterclockwise) it will be the same molecule.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide16.png?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-1676\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide16-300x106.png?resize=371%2C131&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Slide16\" width=\"371\" height=\"131\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide16.png?resize=300%2C106&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide16.png?resize=1024%2C364&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide16.png?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 371px) 100vw, 371px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Any of the four groups can be held in place while the other three are rotated.\u00a0 Once rotated to a point where the lowest priority group is in the back, it becomes much easier to assign R\/S configuration.\u00a0\u00a0 Further, this method is not just confined to small molecules, as shown below.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide17.png?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1677\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide17-300x82.png?resize=500%2C137&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"atom rotation\" width=\"500\" height=\"137\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide17.png?resize=300%2C82&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide17.png?resize=1024%2C280&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide17.png?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Slide17.png?w=3000&amp;ssl=1 3000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>In the example above, CH<sub>3<\/sub> is the lowest priority group.\u00a0 By keeping the alkyl chain stationary, we can rotate the other groups clockwise in order to place the methyl group in back.\u00a0\u00a0 Now it is more apparent that it is in the R configuration.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Take Home Message<\/strong><\/span><strong>: Don\u2019t get angry. \u00a0Determining stereochemistry is easy. Just rotate your molecule to place the lowest priority group in back.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stereochemistry and R\/S configurations &#8211; You spin me right round baby right round. \u00a0Like a record baby. &nbsp; Performing 3-D visualizations of atomic stereochemistry is\u00a0one of the hardest aspects of organic chemistry for new students to learn and understand.\u00a0 One of the great aides in this area is a molecular modeling set, which will allow [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4tPTC-qX","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1671"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1671\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1680,"href":"https:\/\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1671\/revisions\/1680"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aceorganicchem.com\/Elite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}