What are diastereomers?
Q: What are diastereomers?
A: Diastereomers are stereoisomers which are not enantiomers. They have the same atoms and bonds but different stereochemistry in at least one, but not all, of their chiral centres.
Q: Can diastereomers have different properties?
A: Yes, diastereomers can have very different properties even though they look similar.
Q: Are enantiomers different from diastereomers?
A: Yes, enantiomers are different from diastereomers. Enantiomers have exactly the same properties except when in a chiral environment like the human body.
Q: How many enantiomers can a molecule have with only one chiral center?
A: A molecule with only one chiral center can have two enantiomers.
Q: How many isomers can be formed if a molecule has two chiral centers?
A: If a molecule has two chiral centers, it can form 4 different isomers.
Q: How many pairs of enantiomers are formed when all chiral centres are changed at the same time?
A: When all chiral centres are changed at the same time, two pairs of enantiomers are formed.
Q: What are epimers?
A: Epimers are diastereoisomers that are different at only one or more chiral centres. For example, D-Threose and D-Erythrose are diastereomers because they are different at only one of two chiral centres.
