Clock It: Solving the 3-D Chirality Problem with a 2-D Method--A Simple Algorithm for Teaching and Determining Enantiomers in General Chemistry

Autor/in	Juszczak, Laura J.
Titel	Clock It: Solving the 3-D Chirality Problem with a 2-D Method--A Simple Algorithm for Teaching and Determining Enantiomers in General Chemistry
Quelle	In: Journal of Chemical Education, 98 (2021) 10, S.3384-3389 (6 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Juszczak, Laura J.)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0021-9584
DOI	10.1021/acs.jchemed.1c00633
Schlagwörter	Undergraduate Students; College Science; Scientific Concepts; Science Instruction; Teaching Methods; Molecular Structure; Geometric Concepts; Inorganic Chemistry; Assignments; Advanced Courses + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Elementare Geometrie; Anorganische Chemie; Assignment; Auftrag; Zuweisung; Fortgeschrittenenunterricht
Abstract	One of the more difficult concepts introduced in the first-year undergraduate course, general chemistry, is that of chirality. Typically, left and right hands are the common, macroscopic objects of reference used to demonstrate the quality of being nonsuperimposable, followed by the use of a mirror and molecular models, to illustrate molecular enantiomers. While this approach works well as an introduction, and the handedness model becomes more useful in organic chemistry where absolute R- and S-configuration assignment becomes necessary, it does not help the general chemistry student to determine molecular chirality or "handedness" at this basic level. Much of the difficulty stems from the representation of 3-dimensional (3-D) structures on the 2-dimensional (2-D) paper plane. While detailed flowcharts exist for molecules of varying orbital hybridization and geometry, these are more suited to advanced students in inorganic chemistry and are not designed to be mentally retained or learned. Additionally, the process of determining R- and S-configurations for carbon tetrahedral centers in organic chemistry is more complex as ligands must be ranked according to Cahn-Ingold-Prelog (CIP) rules. Previous publications have addressed this topic thoroughly. A simple method is presented here (called clocking) which introduces the concept of chirality for general chemistry and primes the way for more complex chirality assignments in higher level courses. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01