Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry
Stereo
specific:
A reaction in which the
stereochemistry
of the
reactants
controls the outcome of the reaction. In general, one
stereoisomer
of certain
reactant
produces one
stereoisomer
of a certain
product
, whereas a different
stereoisomer
of the same
reactant
produces a different
stereoisomer
of the same
product
.
The
addition
of
molecular
bromine to
2-butene
is stereospecific. The
addition
of molecular bromine to (
E
)-
2-butene
gives
meso
-2,3-dibromo
butane
...
...whereas
addition
of
molecular
bromine to (
Z
)-
2-butene
gives a
racemic mixture
of (2
S
,3
S
)-2,3-dibromo
butane
plus (2
R
,3
R
)-2,3-dibromo
butane
:
Related terms:
Stereoselective
,
chemoselective
,
regioselective
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