Isomerism in Organic Compounds Part 1

In organic chemistry, one of the most important parts is the topic of Isomerism. Isomerism in any compound can lead to a complete change in the type of compound that has been formed. This is why it is important to understand the major concept of isomers and isomerism. For instance, the compounds like Neo-pentane, iso-pentane, and pentane are the isomers of each other as in all these three compounds the molecular formula remains the same (C5H12) whereas the position of the placements of these compounds keeps on changing. Follow the article to get more information about the topic of isomerism.

Isomerism

Isomerism in organic compounds is a very crucial topic in organic chemistry, The word “ISOMERISM” has been made up of two words that are “iso” which means “the same” and the other word is “meros” which means parts. In simpler words, the compounds which have the same molecular formula but differ in the structural formula or the positioning of the element in the final compound are isomerism. These compounds are referred to as the isomers of each other, they are only the same in the molecular formula, but they are different when it comes to changes in the chemical and the physical properties of the compounds. The example of Neopentane, iso-pentane, and pentane has been mentioned above, where the molecular formula was the same but there was a change in the position of the methyl group. Given below are the different types of isomerism shown by the compounds.

The types of Isomerism

Isomerism has been further divided into 4 different types that are stereoisomers, enantiomers, diastereomers, and constitutional isomers.

The Stereoisomers: Stereoisomerism is also referred to as spatial isomerism. It is a type of isomerism in which the molecules with the same molecular formula and the sequence of the bonded atoms are the same but there is a difference in the orientation of the 3D atoms when they are presented in space. According to the definition, the molecules which are stereoisomers of each other can be represented with the same structural isomer.

The Enantiomers: The enantiomers are also referred to as optical isomers. These types of isomers are relevant to each other just by their reflection in the mirror images of themselves which are non-superposable. These compounds have the same physical properties although they might not react the same in polarised light. The pure enantiomers show an optical activity and can be separated from each other by using the chiral agent.

The Diastereomers: The diastereomers are the type of stereoisomers that are not related to any type of reflection operation, these are not the mirror images of each other, they mainly include the meso compounds, the E-Z isomers, and the cis-trans isomers. For example, the meso form of the Tartaric acid forms the diastereomeric pair with the dextrose and the Levo form of Tartaric acid.

The Constitutional Isomers: The constitutional isomers are also referred to as structural isomers and thus the molecular formula of the compound remains the same whereas the structure of the compound keeps on changing which are called the isomers of each other. They also differ in the various chemical and physical properties of those compounds.

Conclusion

As has been mentioned above, Isomerism being the most crucial part of organic chemistry says that the compound which has the same molecular formula but can be represented in different structures are isomers of each other and this phenomenon has been named isomerism. Isomerism has been divided into four subparts that are: The Stereoisomers, Enantiomers, Diastereomers, and Constitutional Isomers.