Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

chem aqa a level isomers

Q4.Isooctane (C8H18) is the common name for the branched-chain hydrocarbon that burns smoothly in car engines.
Deduce the number of monochloro isomers formed by isooctane.
Draw the structure of the monochloro isomer that exists as a pair of optical isomers.
Number of monochloro isomers ....................................................................
Structure
Do optical isomers have to be alkenes/ have double bonds? Isnt isooctane an alkane? So, how is it possible to turn it into an optical isomer?

Reply 1

Davies Chemistry

Original post by sierranonis

Sounds like you may not have studied what an optical isomer is yet.
Optical isomers are non-superimposable mirror images of each other and occur whenever you have 4 different groups attached to one carbon atom- that substance will exist in two versions (optical isomers) that are mirror images of each other
optical isomers.jpg