Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry
Isomer
ization:
The process of converting a
molecule
into its
isomer(s)
.
Heating
ammonium
cyanate
isomer
izes it into
urea
, a
constitutional isomer
. Discovery of this reaction in 1828 by
German chemist Friedrich Wohler
marked the end of
vitalism
, and the start of modern
organic chemistry
.
Isomer
ization at the
stereocenter
converts the
R
enantiomer
of
thalidomide
into (
S
)-
thalidomide
, its
stereoisomer
.
Ring flip
causes a change in the
conformational isomers
of
methyl
cyclohexane
.
Changing the position of a
pi bond
and a hydrogen atom results in
tautomerization
of
acetone's
keto form
into the corresponding
enol form
.
Related terms:
Cis
,
trans
,
E
,
Z
,
α
,
β
,
mutarotation
,
syn
,
anti
,
axial
,
equatorial
,
tautomer
,
equilibrium
,
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