Q95P Explain why the enantiomers of 1... [FREE SOLUTION]

Chapter 4: Q95P (page 185)

Explain why the enantiomers of 1,2-dimethylaziridine can be separated even though one of the 鈥済roups鈥� attached to nitrogen is a lone pair.

Short Answer

Expert verified

In this compound nitrogen is in sp² hybridization. But it don鈥檛 have an angle of 120掳. In the transition state of amine inversion the nitrogen atom is sp² hybridized so the bond angle is 120掳. A nitrogen is three membered ring cannot achieve a bond angle of 120掳. So the amine inversion that would interconvert the enantiomers cannot occur. Therefore the enantiomers can鈥檛 be separated.

Step by step solution

What is enantiomer

Pair of enantiomers will exist if the compound has asymmetric centre or a chiral carbon. So the mirror images of compounds don鈥檛 superimpose.

Chiral objects are those objects which have no same mirror images. The mirror images don鈥檛 superimpose each other. whose mirror images superimpose each other that compounds are called achiral objects.

Final answer

In the transition state of amine inversion the nitrogen atom is sp² hybridized so the bond angle is 120掳. A nitrogen is three membered ring cannot achieve a bond angle of 120掳. So the amine inversion that would interconvert the enantiomers cannot occur. Therefore the enantiomers can鈥檛 be separated.