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Isomerism -- Organic Chemistry


Wed Jan 18, 2023


Isomerism in organic chemistry
Isomerism in organic chemistry refers to the existence of compounds with the same molecular formula but different structural arrangements of atoms. There are several types of isomerism, including constitutional isomers, stereoisomers, and geometric isomers. Constitutional isomers have the same molecular formula but a different arrangement of atoms in the molecule. Stereoisomers have the same atoms in the same arrangement, but differ in the spatial orientation of the atoms. Geometric isomers are a type of stereoisomerism that is observed in molecules with a double bond, and differ in the relative orientation of the atoms or groups of atoms on either side of the double bond 

There are several types of isomerism in organic chemistry, including:
  1. Constitutional isomers: These have the same molecular formula, but a different arrangement of atoms in the molecule. For example, butane (C4H10) and isobutane (C4H10) are constitutional isomers.
  2. Stereoisomers: These have the same atoms in the same arrangement, but differ in the spatial orientation of the atoms. There are two types of stereoisomers:
  • Enantiomers: These are mirror images of each other, and are non-superimposable.
  • Diastereomers: These are stereoisomers that are not mirror images of each other, and are also non-superimposable.
  1. Geometric isomers: These are a type of stereoisomerism that is observed in molecules with a double bond, and differ in the relative orientation of the atoms or groups of atoms on either side of the double bond.
  2. Optical isomers: These are stereoisomers that differ in the arrangement of the atoms around a chiral center, resulting in molecules that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other.
  3. Tautomers: These are constitutional isomers that differ in the position of a double bond and/or the protonation state of a functional group.
  4. Regioisomers: These are isomers that differ in the position of functional groups within a molecule.
  5. Ligand Isomers: These are isomers that differ in the spatial arrangement of ligands bound to a central atom.
Position isomerism, 
isomerism that occurs when different functional groups are located in different positions within a molecule. This type of isomerism occurs when a molecule has multiple sites for functional group attachment, and can result in compounds that have very different chemical and physical properties. For example, in the case of alkanes, the position of a functional group can change the reactivity of the molecule. Similarly, in the case of alkenes, the position of double bond can change the reactivity and the stability of the molecule.A common example of position isomerism is in the case of 2-butene and 1-butene, which have the same molecular formula (C4H8) but different arrangement of double bond, and therefore different chemical properties.Another example of position isomerism are in the case of alkylbenzenes, where the position of alkyl group can change the reactivity and properties of the molecule.


Chain isomerism
Chain isomerism, also known as constitutional isomerism, is a type of isomerism that occurs when compounds have the same molecular formula but a different arrangement of atoms in the molecule. This type of isomerism occurs when a molecule has multiple ways of forming covalent bonds between its atoms, resulting in different structural arrangements.An example of chain isomerism is in the case of C4H8O, which can exist as two constitutional isomers, namely, butan-1-ol and 2-methylpropan-1-ol. Both compounds have the same molecular formula but different structural arrangements of carbon atoms, resulting in different chemical and physical properties.Another example is in the case of C6H14, which can exist as two constitutional isomers, namely, hexane and 2-methylpentane. Both compounds have the same molecular formula but different structural arrangements of carbon atoms, resulting in different chemical and physical properties.Chain isomerism is common in molecules with a higher number of carbon atoms, where there are many possible ways to arrange the atoms.


Metamerism
Metamerism is a type of isomerism that occurs when compounds have the same molecular formula and the same functional groups, but a different arrangement of atoms in the main chain of the molecule. This type of isomerism is also known as chain isomerism or constitutional isomerism.For example, C5H12 has two metamers, namely pentane and isopentane. Both compounds have the same molecular formula and the same functional groups (no functional groups) but different arrangement of carbon atoms in the main chain, resulting in different chemical and physical properties.Another example is in the case of C6H14O which can exist as two metamers, namely hexan-1-ol and 2-methylpentan-1-ol. Both compounds have the same molecular formula and the same functional group (alcohol) but different arrangement of carbon atoms in the main chain, resulting in different chemical and physical properties.In summary, metamerism is a type of isomerism that is similar to chain isomerism, but the main difference is that metamers have the same functional groups, while chain isomers can have different functional group

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